Saudi man gets five years and 1,000 lashes for TV sex boasts

Published on 07/10/2009 15:06

A SAUDI man was jailed for five years and sentenced to 1,000 lashes today for bragging about his sex life on television.

Talking about sex publicly is forbidden in the ultra-conservative country but Mazen Abdul-Jawad's lawyer said he will appeal.

Lawyer Sulaiman al-Jumeii said Abdul-Jawad was duped by the Lebanese LBC satellite channel which aired the talk show and was unaware in many cases he was being recorded.

"I hope you will not consider the case closed," the lawyer said. "I will continue pursuing the TV channel, even if no one stands by me, until it gets the punishment it deserves."

The programme, shown on July 15 on LBC and was seen in Saudi Arabia, scandalised the country where such frank talk is rarely heard in public. Around 200 people made legal complaints against Abdul-Jawad, who works for the national airline.

The program, "Bold Red Line," begins with Abdul-Jawad, dubbed a "sex braggart" and "Casanova" by the media, describing the first time he had sex at 14. He then leads viewers into his bedroom, dominated by red accessories, and then shows off sex toys.

He is later joined by three male friends for a discussion on what turns them on.

His lawyer maintains he was referring to other people's sexual experiences and the toys were provided by the TV station.

The government moved swiftly in the wake of the case, shutting down LBC's two offices in the kingdom and arresting Abdul-Jawad.

The other three men on the show were also convicted of discussing sex publicly and sentenced to two years imprisonment and 300 lashes each.

The case itself was also tried before the wrong court, says the lawyer, who says it should have been heard by a specialized court at the Information Ministry qualified to issue decisions regarding editing, dubbing and other technical issues related to the case.

Mr al-Jumeii said the decision in the case was made "under pressure from public opinion" due to the media frenzy surrounding it.

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, enforces strict segregation of the sexes. An unrelated couple, for example, can be detained for being alone in the same car or having a cup of coffee in public.

Saudis observe such segregation even at home, where they have separate living rooms for male and female guests.