The Saudi Human Rights Commission has launched an investigation into the beating of an Asian expatriate by a Saudi man who became enraged that the expat allegedly spoke to his wife.

The video, which was posted on YouTube and has gone viral since Friday, shows a Saudi man yelling at the expat, who was wearing orange overalls. The Saudi then beat the man with what appears to be a belt as the alleged victim screams.

Ibrahim Al-Shadi, a spokesman for the Human Rights Commission, told Arab News Sunday that the attack is clearly an abuse of the man’s rights under Islamic law regardless of his motive.

“The video clip shows a horrendous violation of this worker’s dignity and safety, which is in contravention to the Islamic moral code of conduct and Saudi laws inspired by the Islamic Shariah,” Al-Shadi said.

“This goes against the grain of the rule of the law in Saudi Arabia regardless of what the worker might have done.”

Al-Shadi said the commission is now following up on this case with legal authorities to apply the rule of law and uphold the rights of the individuals involved.

Neither the Saudi nor the expat is identified in the video, which lasts just under two minutes, but the attacker is heard accusing the victim of speaking to his wife. The Human Rights Commission has received numerous complaints from viewers.