Saudis get 700 lashes for party
2009-07-08 22:12
Riyadh - A Saudi judge sentenced seven young men and four women to up to 700 lashes and jail terms ranging up to 10 months for attending an "immoral" party, a Saudi newspaper reported.
The 11 revellers, including two Iraqis and nine Saudis aged between 18 and 37, received sentences of between 400-700 lashes and between 4-10 months in prison, Saudi Arabia's al-Watan newspaper said.
The group had been arrested in the northern Saudi district of al-Ha'il in late June on charges of drinking alcohol at a mixed gender party.
Police said they had kept the group of young men and women under surveillance for days before arresting them as they drove away from one of their "debauched" late-night parties.
They said they had found araq, a strong alcoholic beverage made from dates, hidden in soft-drink bottles in the car.
Alcoholic drinks are banned in Saudi Arabia. The punishment for drinking alcohol is a public lashing. Private meetings between unmarried men and women is also severely punished.
- SAPA