Saudi journalist turns to human rights to avert lashes

A Saudi journalist who has been sentenced to 50 lashes with the whip has resorted to the local human rights group to stop the court from implementing the verdict, the Saudi Arabic language daily Okaz reported on Saturday.

Fahd Al Jukhaidib was sentenced by a court in the central Saudi province of Al-Qassim last week after he was found guilty of instigating protests against a government electricity company because of continuous power cuts in his town.

The court in the town of Qubba also sentenced Jukhaidib, a journalist in the Saudi Arabic language daily Aljazierah, to two months in prison and ordered that 25 lashes should be made in public in front of the electricity department.

“The National Human Rights Society has received a letter from Jukhaidib asking it to interfere in his case…the Society has now started to gather information on the case for its intervention,” the paper said.

Jukaidib was accused of leading residents of Qubba to the department two years ago to demand action to resolve continuous power cuts in the town.

A few days later, the company yielded to their demands and sent seven additional power generators to the town.

“The problem was over but I was later summoned by police, who charged me of instigating protests. I was then referred to court, which has just sentenced me to two months in prison and 50 lashes, including 25 lashes in front of the electricity department,” Jukhaidib was quoted as saying last week.

“I will see a lawyer to appeal this sentence because the charge has no basis…I did not incite the residents but they only asked me to come with them and talk to the power company…there was no protest and everything was done peacefully.”

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