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Saudi journalist charged with criticising religious police over teenagers’ deaths

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Julie Tomlin
WVoN co-editor

A journalist could face charges in a Saudi court after she criticised the country’s religious police for their part in the death of 15 teenage girls.

A Saudi judge called for the arrest of Saudi journalist and TV presenter Nadin Al-Badir after she spoke out against the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice on Egypt’s Dream2 TV.

Her criticisms came after the teenagers died in a school fire because the religious police stood at the door and refused to allow them to leave the building because they were not wearing the hijab, or traditional Islamic head covering. They also refused to allow the fire brigade to enter the school.

Al-Badir also told how a 28-year-old man Hassan Nabil Hmeid was beaten to death because he had grown his hair long.

“What matters is that this young man’s life came to an end because of backward, reactionary people, who would like to take us back hundreds of years in time.

“I don’t think the situation back then was as bad as they would like it to be,” said Al-Badir, who said that the only matters the religious police pursue are “superficial ones”.

The judge, Mutrak Al Bishr, charged Al-Badir with dishonoring the Saudi institution and demanded that international police forces repatriate her in order that she can appear before a Saudi court.

 

  1. Ian Allan says:

    It is the RELIGIOUS POLICE who should be put before the court or not trying to save those inside. The journalist should be praised for her actions in bringing this incident to public notice. Like the opression of women drivers in Saudi. It’s barbaric

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