Saudi King Waives Lashes for Rozanna al-Yami

Writing this moment that the Saudi prosecutor in charge of proceedings in the LBC, “Bold Red Line” sex-talk scandal, is seeking a stiffer sentence for Rozanna al-Yami, the 22-year-old marketing coordinator involved indirectly in the case, I received an alert via Maktoob Business that Saudi’s King Abdullah has waved her flogging.

Information Ministry spokesman Abdul-Rahman al-Hazza said on Monday the king had waived the punishment and referred her case and that of another female journalist, Iman Rajab, accused of involvement in the show to a ministry committee, AP reported.

See Saturday’s post for details:  Saudi Arabia Sentences Woman Journalist to 60 Lashes for Too Sexy TV.

Media reports this morning confirmed via Arab News: “The public prosecutor challenged the punishment of 60 lashes saying it was too light and not in sync with her role as a coordinator and the one who prepared and advertised the program.”

Yami, 22, was cleared her of being directly involved with the Jawad’s episode, but sentenced for her part in helping solicit people to appear on other episodes, according to Yami and Jumaei.

Maktoob Business reports: The waiver is the latest intervention by King Abdullah in a case where the kingdom’s conservative judges have meted out harsh punishments that have sparked international concerns.

The king has been pushing reforms to modernise and liberalise the kingdom, including its judicial system, which is based on a strict interpretation of sharia law.

In the Internet age, with Facebook and Twitter, it’s increasingly difficult to isolate the strictest punishments from the gaze of a global press.

I will report now, because it will not be necessary to execute his offer, that I was contacted early this morning by a European man, who I know to be reputable in name and his business, which I also know. This European man was so outraged over the appeal in the Saudi journalist Yami’s flogging case,  that he sought my cooperation, journalistic “mouthpiece”, and excellent connections into the Muslim community to determine if sharia laws would permit him to be flogged instead of Yami.

His question is an interesting one, and I will pursue an answer. Absolutely, I would have ‘taken on’ this case and his offer, as I’ve involved myself with Lubna Ahmed Hussein in Sudan and Chansa Kabwela in Zambia.

If you have direct knowledge of sharia laws, and the ability of a sentence to be transferred to another person who accepts the punishment instead, please drop details into my Contact Anne box.

The Anne of Carversville community thanks King Abdullah for his intervention in this matter. We understand that the fundamental nature of changes in these societies is complex and fraught with challenges on all sides.  Anne