AP
In this file picture, a Saudi Arabian woman drives a car as part of a campaign to defy Saudi Arabia's ban on women driving, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Cairo - Saudi activists say a court has sentenced a Saudi woman to 10 lashes for defying the kingdom's ban on women driving.
Activist Samar Badawi says Shaima Ghassaniya was found guilty on Tuesday of driving without the government's permission.
No laws prohibit women from driving, but conservative religious edicts have banned it.
The ruling comes just two days after Saudi King Abdullah announced that, for the first time, women have the right to vote and run in the country's 2015 local elections.
Najalaa Harriri, who is also facing court for driving, said she needed to drive to take better care of her children.
Tuesday's verdict is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia. Other women were detained for several days, but had not been sentenced by a court. - Sapa-AP
|
|
Services
Business Directory
We like to make your life easier
Mobile
Browse IOL on your phone at m.iol.co.za.
Newsletters
Subscribe to our newsletters. News delivered to your inbox!
