JEDDAH: A judge in Al-Kharj has ordered the arrest of a mother of four for failing to allow her ex-husband to see their children, according to a local publication.

The mother and father each have custody of two children and had previously agreed to weekly visits.

However, the mother’s lawyer, Bayan Zahran, said that her client had not intentionally denied her husband access to the children. She had been forced to leave Al-Kharj for Jeddah because she did not have a mahram, or male guardian, Zahran said.

Zahran said she filed an objection with the judge to have the rulingreviewed under Article 76 of the Royal Decree No. 53 of July 3, 2012, which allows for verdicts to be reconsidered, because the original custody agreement had been reached amicably between the parents.