Skip to main content

Royal pardon for Saudi journalist sentenced to lashes

(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has been called "The King of Hearts" by many of his countrymen, referring to what they believe are his compassionate attempts to reform his ultra-conservative kingdom.
He used his power Monday to overturn a criminal court sentence of 60 lashes and a two-year travel ban imposed on female journalist Rosanna al-Yami. Under the travel ban, she could not have left Saudi Arabia.
Al-Yami was sentenced for her work on an episode of the television show "A Thick Red Line" that featured a Saudi man who bragged about sexual escapades. The controversial show explores social taboos.
It is carried by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp., for which al-Yami works as a coordinator and guest booker.
"King Abdullah's swift revocation of this punishment sends an important notice to the Saudi judicial system that it should not go after journalists for exercising free speech," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director for Human Rights Watch.
"King Abdullah should also overturn the sentence against the man at the center of the case, who had spoken about sex on a television show, and initiate reforms to strengthen the rights to freedom of expression and to a fair trial," Human Rights Watch said in a written statement.
In the episode, the Saudi man, Mazen Abdul Jawad, 32, bragged about his sex life. Saudi authorities put him on trial and sentenced him to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes. Shortly afterward, the court sentenced al-Yami.
Jawad's attorney, Suleiman al-Jumeii, said al-Yami was not involved in setting up the episode in which his client appeared. The lawyer said he is attempting to pursue an appeal for his client and get the case heard in a special court that deals only with media matters.
"A Thick Red Line" caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia, where sharia, or Islamic law, is practiced. Pre-marital sex is illegal, and unrelated men and women are not permitted to mingle.
Saudi authorities shut down Lebanese Broadcasting's offices in Jeddah and Riyadh after the interview aired a few months ago.
The king's pardon of al-Yami was unusual, but it was not the first time he has stepped in.
In late 2007, the king pardoned a woman who, although she had been gang-raped, was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for appearing in public with an unrelated male, who also was pardoned, according to the Saudi justice minister.
The king concluded in a letter pardoning the woman that her male companion, who was abducted along with her, had suffered torture along with her. Details of what happened to the two were not disclosed.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

India's swine flu death rate is increasing

Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in
Post a Comment
Read more

Cuba's world-famous cigar festival closes in Havana

Sunday, February 28, 2010 HAVANA: Hundreds of wealthy merchants and cigar aficionados from all parts of the world gathered in Havana this week to bid high stakes for humidors full of premium cigars. Cuba's annual Habanos festival ended on Friday night with an auction of ornate humidors of cedar and mahogany stacked with hand-rolled stogies that raised 800,000 euros ($1.09 million dollars). Habanos S.A. executives this month said cigar sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 10 percent of customers for Habanos. But even with the creation of the Julieta, Garcia said Habanos has only modest hopes for 2010 sales, due largely to a weak economy in Spain, the biggest market for Cuban cigars. The flavor of premium tobacco relies on the soil and climate in which it is grown. The western province of Pinar Del Rio, famous fo
Post a Comment
Read more

Cyprus lace to be declared UNESCO cultural heritage

Tuesday, September 08, 2009 NICOSIA: Traditional hand-made lace produced in the Larnaca district village of Lefkara in Cyprus known as lefkaritiko includeded in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). Soseilos said that the relevant UNESCO committee has already decided to include lefkaritiko in its list of the world’s ICH, a more recent addition to UNESCO’s long-standing list of World Heritage sites, and the decision will be formally announced at the UNESCO General Assembly next month. The tradition of needlework and lace embroidery in Lefkara goes back centuries.
Post a Comment
Read more