JEDDAH: The Saudi who appeared on LBC’s “Bold Red Line” weekly program boasting about his sexual adventures and showing off sex toys in his bedroom before heading out into the night to cruise for ladies was arrested on Friday, Jeddah police told Arab News.
Two other men who had appeared with him were also detained for questioning in connection to the controversial television segment.
“Ali Mazen Abdul Jawad and two of his accomplices were arrested early Friday morning in an apartment of his friend,” Suleiman Al-Mutawae, acting spokesman of Jeddah police, told Arab News on Friday.
“The two others were his colleagues in the TV program in which a Abdul Jawad spoke about his promiscuous acts, which is a violation of the Shariah regulations on the one hand and against Saudi customs on the other.”
The crime in question is whether Abdul Jawad’s comments constitute the crime of publicizing vice, which falls under the tash’hir (publicizing) principle under Shariah. Anyone publicly advocating sinful behavior can end up before a judge who can administer a punishment at his discretion, a verdict known as ta’azir.
“Investigations to find the full details of the violations are underway. The culprits will be handed to the legal authorities for further action,” Al-Mutawae said.
It was rumored that police arrested Abdul Al-Jawad on an earlier occasion because of the public anger caused by the bold revelations. Some have called for his execution and there has been talk of sentencing him to years in prison and lashes.
A number of people have been demanding in the local press and Saudi websites to punish the man. There are unconfirmed reports that LBC may cancel the program, however attempts to confirm these reports with the broadcasting company were unanswered on Friday.
