Saudi Gazette report ABHA — Sources close to a young woman who was found burned to death in her kitchen in Asir believe she committed suicide, Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Sunday. Hanan Al-Shehri had been abused by her uncle and brother after her father's death, claimed a relative who declined to be named. The source said Hanan had been engaged to a young man who had paid the dowry to her uncle. Yet Hanan's brother refused to approve the marriage and her uncle beat her, the source claimed. As a result, Hanan drank benzine and set herself on fire, dying in Mahayel Asir General Hospital a day later, claimed the source. The mayor of Mahayel Asir, Mohammed Bin Sabra, said the hospital took in Hanan without asking about the details. The case, he added, is in the hands of the police. An Asir police spokesman refused to comment until after the conclusion of the investigations. The head of the National Society for Human Rights' Asir branch Dr. Hadi Alyami said the society is monitoring developments in the case and would issue a statement soon. Mohamed Asiri, an activist working in the region, said abuse of women is widespread in the region due to the persistence of outdated social traditions. He said many cases go unreported due to fears of retribution. He called on religious scholars to participate in the fight against abuse of women by raising social awareness and declaring that such behavior is religiously unacceptable. The new developments come after the case caught the attention of social media users.
