A court in Saudi Arabia this week ordered "for the first time" the publication in the press of the name of a man convicted of sexual harassment, a new sentence that is seen as a greater deterrent to would-be perpetrators of this type of crime in the conservative kingdom.
Saudi Arabia only made sexual harassment a crime in 2018 as part of social reforms promoted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at improving the country's image.
"A Saudi court has sentenced a citizen accused of sexual harassment to be stormed through the publication of his name, the first such court ruling in the kingdom," state television El Ekhbariya reported.
According to the network, this is the first implementation of a new penalty added in 2021 to the 2018 law, under which sexual harassment is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine equivalent to 70,000 euros.
The decision was made by a court in Medina, one of Islam's holy sites, and also provides for a sentence of eight months in prison and a fine of around 1,200 euros for Yasser Muslim al-Arawi, according to local newspaper Okaz.
Al-Arawi was convicted for "touching from behind, verbally and persistently attacking" the victim, the newspaper explained.
Publication of name, not a fine
[/P]Publication of a convicted man's name is a penalty applied to some offences in Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Gulf countries, where a fine is not seen as a particular deterrent for wealthy men.[/P]In another case, six Saudi men were arrested in August 2021 for harassing a foreign tourist in Riyadh.
Since Prince Mohammed became the country's de facto leader in 2017, women in Saudi Arabia have gained some rights, such as traveling alone, driving or attending events alongside men.
Although the international community has welcomed some of these reforms, part of the country's population as well as non-governmental organizations denounce the fierce repression of critics of the government, especially many feminists who are imprisoned.
Source: Cyprus Times
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