RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has passed a new law to criminalise sexualharassment, state media said Wednesday, less than a month before theconservative kingdom lifts its decades-long ban on women driving.
The kingdom’s Shura Council, which advises the cabinet, passed a draft lawon Monday which would introduce a prison term of up to five years and amaximum penalty of 300,000 riyals ($80,000).
The law has been approved by the cabinet, the official Saudi Press Agencyreported.
It is “a very important addition to the history of regulations in thekingdom”, Shura Council member Latifa al-Shaalan was quoted as saying in aninformation ministry statement.
“It fills a large legislative vacuum, and it is a deterrent,” she added.
The new law appears to be in preparation for the historic lifting of thekingdom’s driving ban on women on June 24.
The move is part of a highly publicised liberalisation drive launched bypowerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has also ended adecades-long ban on cinemas, allowed mixed-gender concerts and clipped thepowers of the long-feared religious police.
But the social reforms appear overshadowed by the recent arrests of atleast 11 activists, mostly identified by rights groups as veteran womencampaigners for the right to drive and to end the conservative country’smale guardianship system.
Without naming those detained, authorities have accused them of “suspiciouscontact with foreign parties”, providing financial support to “enemies” andattempting to undermine the kingdom’s “security and stability”.
Reports in state-backed media branded some of the detainees as “traitors”and “agents of embassies”.
At least four detained activists were released last week, campaignersincluding Amnesty International said, but the fate of the others remainsunclear.
“Given the significant loosening of certain restrictions on women’sactivities in Saudi Arabia… it is perplexing why both women and menengaged in campaigning for such positive developments are now beingtargeted by the authorities,” the office of the UN High Commissioner forHuman Rights said Tuesday.
“If, as it appears, their detention is related solely to their work ashuman rights defenders and activists on women’s issues, they should bereleased immediately.”
Aside from the driving activists, authorities last week also arrestedMohammed al-Bajadi, co-founder of the Association for Civil and PoliticalRights (ACPRA), one of the few independent human rights groups in SaudiArabia, campaigners said.
Human Rights Watch on Wednesday reported the arrest of a second rightsactivist, but added that he was subsequently released.
“The Saudi government seems so consumed with silencing dissent that evenactivists who have gone quiet for fear of retribution are being targetedagain,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at HRW.
Saudi officials have so far not responded to requests for comment on thecrackdown. – APP/AFP