A court here sentenced organizers of an alleged gender-mixed party at a well-known Jeddah resort to six months in prison and a fine of SR45,000 Wednesday. The verdict included two administrative staff members and the lead singer of the party. The prosecutor general said that the organizers did not stop the party when they were told to do so. It took several attempts to stop it, the prosecutor said in the charge list, asking for maximum punishment for the organizers during the hearing session. The party theme was based on folklore music and dance presented to people with special needs, the party organizers said. And the party was “officially licensed,” they said. The judge took a written vow from the organizers not to repeat that “violation.” The organizers said they will appeal the verdict. In Makkah last week, a court increased an earlier sentence handed down to a businessman who was found guilty of organizing a gender-mixed party in his theme park from four months imprisonment and 200 lashes to six months, but the 200 lashes remained unchanged.
