Riyadh police arrest 50 in two days on harassment charges

Saudi police stand guards in Manfouha, southern Riyadh, in this file photo. (Reuters)
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  • Al-Tuwaijri said those 50 have been arrested and regular measures have been taken against them
  • He added that violations included wearing inappropriate clothes in public areas.

RIYADH: Riyadh police arrested 50 people on various charges of harassment on Dec. 24 and 25, according to the region’s spokesperson Lt. Col. Shakir Al-Tuwaijri.
He said that based on complaints from a number of citizens and residents as well as evidence of their involvement in harassment crimes, those 50 have been arrested and regular measures have been taken against them.
He added that violations included wearing inappropriate clothes in public areas.
In 2017, a royal decree stated that “considering the dangers sexual harassment poses and its negative impact on the individual, the family and society along with its contradiction of Islamic principles, our customs and traditions,” the Interior Ministry “shall prepare a draft law to tackle sexual harassment.”
The decree came days after the ban on women driving was lifted.
In May 2018, the Shoura Council and the Cabinet approved legislation, drafted by the ministry and instructed by King Salman, that criminalized sexual harassment.