Court call over Saudi drive ban

Saudi women leading a campaign against the kingdom’s ban on female driving have called on the courts to take up their lawsuits demanding the right to drive.

Manal al-Sherif said yesterday that she and another woman activist are urging judicial authorities to begin proceedings on complaints they lodged after being refused driver’s licences.

Ms al-Sherif was detained for nine days last year after posting a video of herself driving. It helped launch wider protests.

No laws prohibit women from driving, but conservative religious edicts have banned it and officials comply with those.