JEDDAH — The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) will support a Saudi woman sentenced to jail and lashes for returning to her expatriate ex-husband without providing the necessary paperwork. Chairman of the NSHR Makkah branch Dr. Hussain Al-Sharif was quoted by Al-Madinah newspaper Tuesday as saying that his organization would appoint a lawyer to appeal the preliminary ruling at the Makkah Court of Appeals, especially as the woman had received approval to marry the man in the first place. Al-Sharif said NSHR would contact authorities to provide the woman's children with identity papers and to ensure them of their legal right to free education, health care and other services. The general court in Jeddah convicted the woman of returning to her Syrian ex-husband in a way that broke the law. The judge in the case believed the remarriage was solemnized without any official approval and was not documented, which was against the rules as one of the parties was a foreigner. Both were sentenced to five days in prison and 10 lashes. The husband was also asked to pay a monthly alimony of SR400 to each of his four children. Both the parties have objected to the verdict. — SG
