Saudi court sentenced woman to 70 lashes for insulting man over Whatsapp

A 32-year-old woman has been sentenced to 70 lashes by a court in Saudi for defaming a man on an instant messaging app.

The woman was found guilty by a criminal court in Eastern Saudi Arabia of tarnishing the reputation of the complainant through WhatsApp, Okaz newspaper reported.

She was fined 20,000 Saudi Riyal (USD 5,332) and handed down 70 lashes by the court for the crime she committed.

A case was filed by the complainant following an argument with the woman whose nationality was not mentioned. The defendant admitted she had insulted the man, Gulf News said.

Under the Saudi Anti-Cyber Crime Law, a person who commits, defames or inflicts damage upon others through the use of various information technology devices "shall be subject to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and a fine not exceeding SR 500,000 or to either punishment."

This is not the first time that any woman has sentenced to such punishment. According to the local Saudi media many women has been lashed for different crimes. This should be changed as this is not the right way to punish a woman when even she is fined as well.

The stereotypical thinking of Saudi Arabia has been the same and there is no mercy for humans, the laws should be reviewed. Saudi women live in a miserable condition there and with so many restrictions, such incidents from Saudi give an impression to the world as pessimist and anti humanitarian society.