Saudi woman arrested again for driving car

Saudi authorities re-arrested a local woman on charges of driving a car in public and inciting public opinion, a newspaper in the Gulf Kingdom reported on Monday.

Police said they jailed Manal Al Sharif for five days after she was detained for three hours and freed on Saturday, adding that she would remain in custody for interrogation.

Quoted by the Arabic language daily Okaz, police said she had been jailed at the women’s prison in the eastern town of Dammam.

“She will be interrogated on charges of violating existing regulations by driving a car through the province, giving an interview to a female journalist about her driving and inciting women and the public opinion,” said prison spokesman colonel Ayoum bin Naheet.

He said Al Sharif had confessed to driving her car and that police had also obtained an online video film as evidence.

“We urge all citizens, men and women, to comply with existing regulations in line with our sublime religion and stay away from any thing that could harm the society,” he said.

Al Sharif is a leading activist in Saudi female campaign pressing for ending a long-standing ban on driving cars by women in the conservative Gulf Kingdom, the world’s top oil exporter.

On Saturday, she defied the ban and drove her car through the streets of the eastern town of Khobar before she was stopped by the police. She was detained for three hours but was free after many women gather near the police centre to demand her freedom.

Naheet did not make clear if A Sharif would be tried after investigation.

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