RIYADH, 10 June 2007 — The governorate of Riyadh confirmed yesterday to Arab News that it is investigating a complaint filed by a Saudi citizen against the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice for alleged harassment and detention of his two sons. The father claims members of the moral police wrongfully arrested his two sons for possession of alcohol and for having illicit contact with a 16-year-old girl.

He also said they wrecked his son’s car when they chased the young men in two unmarked vehicles.

“When their car was forcefully halted on the street and they (the commission men) realized the girl was not with them, they told the boys to take out the liquor they had. When no liquor was found, they arrested them,” said the father, Riyadh resident Fahd Al-Bishi. “It got worse when they confiscated their mobile phones and personal belongings in their pockets.”

Arab News tried to get a response from the commission but no one there was answering the phone yesterday. The news comes as president of the commission Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Ghaith is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting today with the heads of virtue centers in the Kingdom to discuss the conduct of field operatives and the handling of suspects.

Al-Bishi says his sons had arrived by car from the Eastern Province to attend their sister’s wedding over the weekend. He said his sons were detained in Al-Suwaidi Virtue Center for 48 hours and that he only learned of their capture by chance.

“One of my (other) sons coming from a rest house early in the morning spotted the crashed car on the side of the road and called his elder brother to tell him that Sultan (the car’s owner) had an accident,” said Al-Bishi. “When both brothers arrived at the scene, people gathering around the car informed them that the boys inside the vehicle were taken by the virtue commission.”

Al-Bishi said that virtue officials only agreed to release the boys on the condition that a police officer sign documents putting the suspects in his custody.

“I called up my cousin who works as an officer to sign the release papers,” said Al-Bishi. “I, on the other hand, had to sign a paper which stated that they (the virtue commission) are not responsible for what happened to the car.”

Al-Bishi is accusing the virtue officers he spoke with of not showing any respect for his old age, cursing him and refusing to admit their mistake. The father said one of his arrested sons works for the Saudi Navy and has been involved in counterterrorism operations.

“How could they falsely accuse him of drinking or possessing alcohol? First of all, that is religiously wrong,” he said.

“Second, the navy conducts tests to make sure its employees do not consume alcohol. I met the governor (Prince Salman) and told him everything that happened,” said Al-Bishi. “I am thankful that he showed interest in establishing justice. The governor has ordered an investigation. And I will continue to pursue this case.”

Al-Bishi said that the Al-Dirab Police Department has contacted him to take photographic evidence of the crashed car. “The car is wrecked,” he said. “They informed me that it will be held with them until the investigation was over.”

This is the fourth high-profile complaint in recent weeks against members of the moral police in the Kingdom.

Last month, members of the virtue commission allegedly forced entry into Sulaiman Al-Huraisi’s house in the capital on the suspicion of his possessing alcohol. The suspect died in custody and family members are accusing virtue commission officers of beating him to death. The governorate issued a statement stating that large quantities of alcohol were confiscated from his apartment.