A Saudi Arabian citizen has been named in a newspaper after his conviction for sexual harassment, in an apparent first under new laws.
A court in the city of Medina ordered the public identification of Yasser Muslim al-Arawi, who was named in the privately owned Okaz newspaper after he was sentenced to eight months in prison and fined 5,000 riyals ($1,300).
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Saudi Arabia started penalizing sexual harassment in 2018, as the Kingdom embarked on wide-ranging social reforms including allowing women to drive.
Okaz and state-owned Alekhbariya TV said it was the first application of an amendment that allows courts to order a judgement to be published in local press.
Al-Arawi was found guilty of “touching from behind, verbally assaulting and harassing” the victim, the Okaz report said.
Since Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman became Saudi Arabia’s ruler in 2017, Saudi women have enjoyed new freedoms including driving, traveling alone or attending sports and entertainment events alongside men.
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