The husband of the woman who was sentenced to one-and-a half years in prison and 300 lashes for filing false complaints against government officials has demanded the immediate release of his wife, describing her detention as illegal. The verdict has not been approved by a higher court yet, said Saleh Al-Thawwab. The convicted woman is currently being held in the women's prison in Buraidah with their baby girl, “which has caused her psychological complications”, he added. In his petition to the prison chief, Al-Thawwab said that his wife's detention violates Decree 1900, issued by the Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister, stating that detention is legal only in “criminal offenses”. What his wife did was not criminal and does not deserve detention as the ruling is still pending final approval from the Court of Cassation, he argued. Article 123 of the punishment procedures law, the husband said, allows for the immediate and unconditional release of his wife. If the authorities do not release her immediately, he said, he would file a case against them with the Administrative Court for violating clear administrative procedures. Al-Thawwab was summoned by the court to receive an official copy of the verdict. An appeal must be made in 30 days. In its verdict, the court in Al-Ras had threatened to “strip her of her Saudi nationality” if she repeated the offense. The woman was also charged with making visits to government offices, over a case against her husband, without the company of a legal male guardian. According to the ruling, the lashes will be administered at intervals during her prison term.
