Dubai: A man who was convicted of sexual harassment in Saudi Arabia has been named and shamed in public. This is the first such verdict to be issued by a Saudi court, local media reported.
The Criminal Court in Medina has also sentenced Yasser Muslim Al Arawi to eight months in prison and a fine of SR5,000 for harassing a woman using obscene remarks.
This verdict comes after the Council of Ministers approved a law allowing authorities to publicly reveal the identity of individuals found guilty of sexual harassment.
In January 2021, the Saudi Cabinet added a new paragraph to Article 6 of the Kingdom’s Anti-Harassment Law, stating that the judgment in sexual harassment case may be summarised in local newspapers at the expense of the convicted person.
“It is permissible to include the sentence issued determining the penalties referred to in this article and to publish its summary at the expense of the convicted person in one or more local newspapers, or through any other appropriate means, according to the gravity of the crime and its impact on society,” the amended article of the law states.
The amendment also included clauses against those who file false harassment claims.
