A Saudi woman was sentenced to 10 lashes for defying a ban on women driving in the conservative kingdom, an activist said on Tuesday, while another woman was arrested in the capital. Sheima Jastaniah was sentenced on Monday by a court in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where she was caught driving in July, the activist said, requesting anonymity.
She said Jastaniah "had refused to talk to media about her trial ... and we were shocked yesterday (Monday) that she was sentenced to 10 lashes." Jastaniah will appeal the verdict, she added. The sentence came a day after King Abdullah announced allowing women to vote and run in municipal polls, and to join the all-appointed Shura (consultative) Council, a first in a country that imposes many restrictions on women. Meanwhile, women rights activist Madiha al-Ajrush was detained briefly Tuesday in Riyadh after she was caught driving around the capital with a French freelance journalist who was working on a video documentary on women.