On 3 March 2009, a court in the town of al-Shamli, north of the capital Riyadh, sentenced three people to floggings and imprisonment on the basis of charges that Amnesty International considers to be inconsistent with international human rights standards. Both Khamisa Mohammed Sawadi and Fahad were sentenced to 40 lashes and four months’ imprisonment, while Hadyan received a sentence of 60 lashes and six months’ imprisonment. Khamisa Mohammed Sawadi was further sentenced to deportation to Syria once her prison term has been completed.
