DAMMAM, 18 July 2006 — A young Saudi man in his early 20s allegedly committed suicide while in National Guard custody in Dammam, the daily Al-Watan reported yesterday. The man was arrested after he was stopped trespassing at a National Guard base. Officers said he looked like he might have been under the influence of drugs, but he hung himself Sunday in his cell with his clothes before anti-drug authorities could receive him. In Hafr Batin, a man in his thirties reportedly immolated himself with petrol in his apartment on Sunday. The fire was extinguished by Civil Defense authorities, who also discovered the charred remains of the man, Al-Yaum reported yesterday. In another case on Sunday, a woman attempted to burn herself to death in front of her children in Jizan, Al-Watan reported. The woman, whose husband was away at the time, survived the attempt and was taken to hospital.
