In historic verdict, Saudi court orders to name and shame man convicted of sexual harassment

RIYADH — A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a man convicted of sexual harassment to naming and shaming in public, in addition to a prison term and a fine.

This was the first verdict issued by a Saudi court to name and shame a culprit in a sexual harassment case after the Council of Ministers approved a law that called for publicly revealing the identity of individuals found guilty of sexual harassment.

The Criminal Court in Madinah sentenced Yasser Muslim Al-Arawi to eight months in prison and a fine amounting to SR5,000 for harassing a woman using obscene remarks.

In January 2021, the Council of Ministers added a new paragraph to Article 6 of the Kingdom’s Anti-Harassment Law, stating that the judgment in sexual harassment case may be summarized in local newspapers at the expense of the convicted person.

“It is permissible to include the sentence issued determining the penalties referred to in this article and to publish its summary at the expense of the convicted person in one or more local newspapers, or in any other appropriate means, according to the gravity of the crime and its impact on society,” according to the newly amended article of the law.

The amendment also included clauses against those who file false harassment claims.