Punished For Driving: Saudi woman sentenced to 10 lashes
Sheima Jastaniah was sentenced by a court in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where she was caught driving in July.
JEDDAH:
A Saudi woman was sentenced to 10 lashes for defying a ban on women driving in the conservative kingdom, an activist said on Tuesday, while another woman was arrested in the capital. Sheima Jastaniah was sentenced on Monday by a court in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where she was caught driving in July, the activist said, requesting anonymity. She said Jastaniah “had refused to talk to media about her trial ... and we were shocked on Monday that she was sentenced to 10 lashes.” Jastaniah will appeal the verdict, she added. Amnesty International condemned the sentence, saying it demonstrated the “scale of discrimination against women in the kingdom”.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2011.
A Saudi woman was sentenced to 10 lashes for defying a ban on women driving in the conservative kingdom, an activist said on Tuesday, while another woman was arrested in the capital. Sheima Jastaniah was sentenced on Monday by a court in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where she was caught driving in July, the activist said, requesting anonymity. She said Jastaniah “had refused to talk to media about her trial ... and we were shocked on Monday that she was sentenced to 10 lashes.” Jastaniah will appeal the verdict, she added. Amnesty International condemned the sentence, saying it demonstrated the “scale of discrimination against women in the kingdom”.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2011.