JEDDAH: The Human Rights Commission (HRC) is investigating the Nakheel Mall case, in which a girl was beaten up by a group of Haia members, an official of the commission has said.

“The HRC is supposed to guarantee the rights of those harmed, whoever they are. We have communicated with the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) to ensure that everyone is committed to the rules and regulations,” Khalid Al-Fakhiri, HRC’s undersecretary was quoted as saying by local media on Friday.

He said that the guardians implement the regulations according to the legislation, and there should be no individual transgressions that harm the reputation of Saudi Arabia, and the body he works with.

The commission is following up on the case to confirm the accuracy of what has been published in the media, Al-Fakhri added.

Suhaila Zein Al-Abedeen, an activist, was quoted as saying that Saudi women no longer feel safe in the streets. “Women cannot be beaten up in public, no matter what they did, especially since the executive list of the commission stipulates supervision and arrest without punishment, since punishment is delegated to specialized bodies.”