Miniskirt-wearing Saudi woman released

Officially the police accepted the version of the aspiring model who said that the video was private and posted without her knowledge. The case sparked opposite reactions on Saudi social media.

Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The young Saudi woman arrested on Tuesday for posting a picture of herself wearing a miniskirt and not covering her hair has been released without charges.

A statement released by Saudi Arabia's Center for International Communication, which is overseen by the Ministry of Culture and Information, confirmed that the police released the woman after several hours of questioning, adding that the video was published without her knowledge.

In the video, no one other than the young woman can be seen in the tape, which was shot by her guardian, either her father, husband, brother, etc.

Since the case came to light, Saudi social media has been divided. The debate has centred on the hashtag #مطلوب_محاكمه_مودل_خلود, which translates to "the trial of Khulood the model is a must."

Some Saudis posted messages of support for the woman, saying that there was nothing wrong with what she had done, particularly since there was nobody at the site when she visited.

Saudi women's rights Twitter activist Fatima al-Issa wrote, "If she were Western, they would have praised her waist and her enchanting eyes, but because she's Saudi they call for her to be tried!"

Others took a more conservative view, calling for the woman to be punished for promoting sin, stating that her actions violate the Kingdom’s cultural and religious traditions.

The decision to release the woman is seen as a victory for “progressives”, following the nomination of 31-year-old Muhammad ben Salman as heir to the Saudi throne.

• saudi arabia
• miniskirt
• video
• traditions
• modernity