MADINAH: The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice on Wednesday clarified the reasons behind the arrests of two young Saudi men in Madinah and said the reports carried by some local newspapers on the arrests contained false information.
Bandar Al-Robaish, spokesman of the commission’s branch in Madinah, said police detained the two men after they were found taking a woman from Haram Plaza in suspicious circumstances and going around with her.
“The commission’s patrol stopped them to check whether the woman in their car was their relative or not. But they did not cooperate. Instead they started abusing our officers and publicly accused them of (soliciting for) prostitution,” he said.
The commission officials then tried to cool down the young men and reach an understanding with them, the spokesman said. “But the two men escalated the situation by gathering people and attacking commission members,” he added.
He said police arrested the two men and handed over their case to the Commission for Investigation and Public Prosecution.
Concerned authorities will look into the case to protect the rights of both parties, he said, adding that the commission would demand compensation from the two men for abusing and attacking its field officers.
Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz Al-Humain, president of the commission, said the organization would intensify its campaign to stop those violating the Kingdom’s morality regulations.
With over 5,000 men, the force has wide powers to carry out raids in search of alcohol, ensure shops and restaurants are shut during prayer times and enforce the segregation of unrelated men and women in public places.
Al-Humain said the commission’s field teams would step up patrols of outdoor gatherings for public entertainment, which are mainly held during the summer.
“The commission’s men are called upon to orient people in what serves best the public interest, treat them with kindness and tolerance, to keep good intentions and prevent vice from happening,” a local newspaper quoted Al-Humain as saying. Authorities have permitted the commission to open its office in Durrat Al-Arous, a large gated seaside community of temporary and permanent residences in north Jeddah. Ahmad Al-Qassim, the local director of the commission, said his organization wanted to open a precinct in the area in view of reported breaches of conduct.
