TAIF: Security authorities in Riyadh are continuing to hold a youth who had a scuffle with members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Hai'a) in Riyadh on Monday. Ra'ed Al-Dowsari, 22, was detained for 48 hours while investigations were launched into his case by the security authorities. His father was released after he was taken into custody for allegedly trying to help his son escape. His father has denied the charges and said he only wanted to get his son treated for injuries sustained during the scuffle with the Hai'a staffers. Dr. Mufleh Al-Qahtani, Chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), appealed to the Hai'a not to violate the rights of individuals and to treat them kindly. He confirmed that the NSHR has received a complaint lodged by the youth's family and will be investigating the matter. Al-Qahtani also slammed the manner in which the young man has been chained to his hospital bed. Al-Qahtani stressed that nothing justifies this type of measure and said there were certain procedures that ought to have been followed. He said the complaint of the youth's family has shown that there were infringements by the Hai'a during its detention of the youth. This will be verified and investigated by communicating with the authorities concerned. The case involving the youth, which has received wide public attention, took place in front of a girls' secondary school. The Hai'a had accused him of taking photographs of the girls and tried to arrest him, which resulted in an argument and a physical fight. The youth's relatives say he was carrying out his work taking pictures of the street because he is a supervisor for a company that has a contract with the mayoralty. The case is being followed up by several government authorities. The Hai'a has formed an independent committee to investigate the matter. The security authorities will also investigate the youth. Okaz/Saudi Gazette reported earlier this week that Al-Dowsari alleged that the staffers attacked him while he was performing his duty photographing in the streets of Al-Quds District in the capital. Al-Dowsari's family claims he was on an official assignment close to the girls' school when a Hai'a patrol suddenly stopped near his car, a staffer asked him why he was photographing the girls and started assaulting him physically. Following this Al-Dowsari phoned his father from his mobile. When his father arrived, two Hai'a staffers also beat him up, it was claimed. His father managed to take him away in his car but was chased by the Hai'a patrol and forced to stop. The Hai'a staffers then took the bleeding young man in their vehicle. They first took him to their office and then to a police station where he was allegedly thrown down the stairs.
