In a landmark ruling, a Saudi court orders the naming and shaming of a man convicted of sexual harassment

• Khalid Al Mansoor
• . January 12, 2022
• . Update: January 13, 2022 12:49 pm
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Saudi Arabia– A Saudi court has sentenced a man convicted of sexual harassment with public defamation, in addition to a prison sentence and a fine. This was the first ruling by a Saudi court to name and expose a perpetrator in a sexual harassment case after the cabinet approved a law that called for public disclosure of the identity of individuals convicted of sexual harassment.

The Madinah Criminal Court sentenced Yasser Muslim Al-Arawi to eight months in prison and a fine of 5,000 riyals for harassing a woman using obscene statements. In January 2021, the Council of Ministers added a new paragraph to Article 6 of the Anti-Harassment Law in the Kingdom, which states that the ruling in a sexual harassment case can be summarized in local newspapers at the convict’s expense.

“The judgment issued determining the penalties referred to in this article may be included and its summary published at the expense of the convict in one or more local newspapers or by any other appropriate means, according to the seriousness of the crime. and its impact on society,” according to the newly amended article of the law.

The amendment also included paragraphs against those who file a false harassment claim. Despite these legal measures, some Saudi women claim that authorities are not doing enough to prevent harassment.