Saturday, March 7, 2009

Woman Arrested in Saudi Arabia for... Driving.

A woman has been arrested in Mecca in Saudi Arabia for driving a car.

Arab News reported that the woman was arrested after her four-wheel-drive Lexus crashed into another vehicle. Investigators are looking into the incident, and the woman has been handed over to the Prosecution and Investigation Commission.

Women are prohibited from driving on all public roads in Saudi Arabia, a ban that has triggered several high-profile protests by women's rights activists.

CNN notes that more than 125 women last year signed a petition sent to Saudi Interior Minister Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, asking that the ban be overturned. That ban has even, in some cases, been extended to golf carts — a vehicle some women used to get around their transportation limitations.

Back in late January, it was reported that Saudi Arabia was to lift its ban on women drivers later this year - however apparently this has not come into affect yet.

The woman's name and nationality have not been announced.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.