Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Police on Tuesday arrested a woman who was seen wearing a skirt and a crop top in a video, violating the country’s strict dress code for women, reported state television station Al Ekhbariya. If convicted in the case, she faces potential time in prison as well as a fine.
A user named Khulood posted the clip on Snapchat over the weekend. She was filmed walking with her head uncovered, wearing a mini skirt and a crop top at an archaeological site near Saudi Arabian Capital Riyadh.
The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice on Monday said it had opened an investigation with “competent authorities”.
The woman is believed to have admitted that it was her in the video, but she said someone else had posted it online, The Telegraph reported, quoting an unidentified police spokesperson. She has also argued that she had not broken any Saudi law that forbid women from travelling alone as she had a male guardian accompanying her.
The video had triggered an intense debate on social media with some calling her brave and others demanding strict action against her for not respecting the country’s laws.
Some supporters even called the Saudi authorities hypocritical for not protesting when foreign women and Western dignitaries visited the kingdom without wearing a headscarf.
Twitter users share pictures United States President Donald Trump’s wife Melania Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump with their hair uncovered during their trip to Riyadh in May.
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