Thursday, November 24, 2016

#Saudi Regime crimes against humanity :Two Saudi women are sentenced to 20 lashes

By JENNIFER NEWTON 

Two women in Saudi Arabia have been sentenced to 20 lashes after they were found to have used bad language while arguing with each other over WhatsApp.

The pair were also jailed for 10 days after the criminal court in Jeddah said they had used 'impermissable expressions' in their text messages.

And they have been warned if they use bad language again their punishment will be much more severe.

The case came to court after one of the young women was accused of using 'abusive expressions' during her WhatsApp conversation with her friend.

According to Arabic newspaper Al Watan, the court then requested the woman produce her phone so that they could examine the alleged offensive messages.

However, the defendant claimed that she was not the first one to start the argument and showed a message using bad language from her counterpart two months beforehand.

The court then decided that both women were equally as guilty and handed down the sentences.
The sentence comes as Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly condemned for violating human rights, discriminating against woman and restricting freedom of expression.


Earlier this year, the country's top clerical body banned the Pokemon Go app saying it was too similar to gambling and that is character were based on Darwin's theory of evolution.

It also said the game carried symbols of 'deviant' religions and organisations, such as 'international Zionism' and Israel, Christian crosses, Freemasonry, and symbols from Japan's native Shinto religion.

It came at the same time a teenager in the country, whose video chats with a young American woman went viral, was also arrested for 'unethical behaviour'.

Meanwhile in 2011, Saudi woman Shaima Jastaina was sentenced to 10 lashes after a court in Jeddah found she had flouted a ban that does not allow women to drive. 

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