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Reuters
According to reports from Saudi Arabia, the authorities abolished the punishment of flogging according to a legal document distributed by the media.
The document indicated that the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia decided to abolish the punishment as long as it replaced it with prison or a fine.
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The document said the decision was a complement to “the reforms and developments achieved in the field of human rights in the Kingdom that were guided by King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and under the direct supervision and follow-up of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “
Activists say Saudi Arabia has one of the worst human rights registries in the world, accusing it of severely suppressing freedom of expression and subjecting opponents of the regime to arbitrary detention.
Since Muhammad bin Salman assumed the reign of Al-Ahd, he has taken various measures to improve the image of the kingdom.
Saudi women were allowed to enter soccer fields for the first time in January 2018, the same year the kingdom ended a decades-long ban on driving women.
Another year witnessed another development when a royal decree allowed Saudi women to travel abroad without the permission of a guardian, as well as to cancel the separation of women in restaurants.
However, many prominent human rights defenders have been arrested even after the government made reforms.
The BBC’s Middle East affairs editor says the last time flogging was punished in worldwide headlines was several years ago in the case of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was punished for flogging in front of the public, This caused a state of criticism and anger throughout the world.
Saudi authorities responded and did not complete the punishment, especially since Badawi was nearly killed by the flogging.
