Jeddah - A young woman who stormed the stage and disrupted a musical concert in Jeddah last Friday could be jailed and fined if convicted of sexual harassment.
The fan ran up the stage last Friday and hugged Majid al-Muhandis, an Iraqi-born singer and composer with Saudi citizenship, who was performing as part of Okaz Festival.
A video recording showed the black-abaya-clad woman as she was running to the stage and hugging the singer before the security guards intervened and led her away.
“The suspect is held at the Al-Taif Foundation for Women’s Care pending investigation”, said Mecca police official spokesman. Famed Iraqi singer Kathem Al-Saher also performed at the same joint concert.
The police arrested the woman and referred her to the Public Prosecution to face charges under the law criminalising harassment.
Under the law on sexual harassment, the woman could jailed up to two years and fined SR300,000, said legal expert Dr. Ibrahim Al-Abadi in a statement to Al-Riyadh.
He stressed the need to test the woman psychologically and assess her mental state to see whether she is legally accountable and responsible for her acts.