Expat nabbed in Riyadh for filming corpse at hospital
The suspect faces charges of violating privacy and committing cyber crime
Cairo: Saudi police have arrested in Riyadh an expatriate accused of having filmed and posted online a video clip showing a shrouded dead person, media reports said.
The video circulating on social media displayed a shrouded corpse inside a hospital during arrangements to transfer the body to a morgue ahead of burial.
Police said the suspect – a Bangladeshi resident – had been arrested in coordination with the Ministry of Health for filming the clip and posting it, an act violating privacy and the anti-cyber crime law in the kingdom.
“Disciplinary procedures were taken against the accused who was referred to public prosecution,” the police said in a brief statement.
Taking pictures of others without permission is prohibited and punishable in Saudi Arabia. Under Saudi law, the offence is punishable by a fine of up to SR500,000 and imprisonment for a maximum of one year.
In recent months, Saudi authorities have arrested several expatriates involved in different cases of law-breaking and violence.
Last week, Saudi police said they had 11 expatriates over obstructing traffic in Riyadh and documenting the act online.
The police said the offenders included 10 Bangladeshis accused of obstructing traffic and causing discomfort to the passers-by.
One more suspect was arrested for capturing the act in a video clip in violation of the kingdom’s anti-cyber crime law.