20 January 2022
Saudi authorities have warned that anyone spreading “baseless” rumours on social media could face up to five years in prison and a huge fine.
It comes after a cancelled concert in Riyadh led to reports online that young women were being sexually harassed as they tried to make their way home.
Some of the women have told the BBC of their fears over posting about what happened after the event.
The Saudi entertainment chief appeared to mock their claims in several tweets.
This is the latest development in the cultural and social clash that the opening up of Saudi Arabia from an austere and deeply conservative society to one that now hosts mass entertainment events has engendered.
The much anticipated concert, headlined by the K-Pop band Stray Kids, on the evening of 14 January was called off at the last moment due to high winds. Disappointed fans struggled to find their way home from the venue on the outskirts of the Saudi capital.
Reports began appearing on social media saying that girls had gone missing, as well as warnings of sexual harassment. Online at least, there appeared to be panic. Hashtags proliferated, amplifying the sense of jeopardy.
The reality is still unclear.
Source : BBC
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