Saudi police arrest several men following 'gay wedding' video in holy city

Authorities do not provide details of charges facing those involved


News Desk January 11, 2018
Officers arrested a number of people at the event while their cases had been referred to prosecutors. PHOTO COURTESY: PINTEREST

Police in Saudi Arabia arrested several men who appeared in a "gay wedding scene," according to The Independent.

A viral video shows two men walking side-by-side as they are showered in confetti. A long bridal train appears to trail along the ground behind one of the men.

Local police said they had identified "the cross-dresser and other people involved in the incident".

Officers arrested a number of people at the event while their cases had been referred to prosecutors. But they did not name the men or provide details of the charges they faced.

Police said the event had happened at a festival at a resort in the holy city, and had left people present "surprised".

Two transgender Pakistanis tortured to death in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom does not have written laws concerning same sex relationships, however, Saudi judges use principles of sharia law to sanction people they suspect of having sex with someone of the same gender, according to Human Rights Watch.

Judges and prosecutors use provisions of the country’s anti-cybercrime law that criminalises online activity impinging on “public order, religious values, public morals, and privacy”.

There have been reports the country's prosecution office is planning to request the death penalty for anyone “using social media to solicit homosexual acts.”

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