RIYADH - Saudi Arabia’s ruler King Abdullah has reportedly retracted a sentence of 10 lashes given to a Saudi woman for driving her car. Although no such official statement was issued from the government or royal court; but Al Arabiya TV channel has already confirmed the news.
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| Princess Amira Al Taweel Tweeted About the Revoking of Lashes Penalty by King Abdullah |
First of all the news emerges from the tweet of Princess Amira Al Taweel, wife of the Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, stating:
“Thank God, the lashing of Shaima is cancelled. Thanks to our beloved King. I’m sure all Saudi women will be so happy, I know I am.”
A court in Jeddah sentenced Shaima Ghassaniya with a penalty of 10 lashes on Monday, only a day after King Abdullah announced the right to vote for Saudi women and run as candidates in local elections in 2015.
The sentence to Shaima Ghassaniya was slammed by a number of human and women rights groups worldwide, including Amnesty International, which said it demonstrated the “scale of discrimination against women in the kingdom.”
Saudi women have been protesting for the past several months against the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia by taking to the wheel in increasing numbers.
Women activist Manal al-Sharif even filmed herself driving and posted on Youtube. She was arrested but later on released from jail after promising not to take part further in campaigning for Saudi women to drive.
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