Saudi Arabia King Abdallah has issued a royal decree quashing the sentence of 60 lashes that a court in Jeddah passed last week on journalist Rozanna al-Yami. Responsibility for the Yami case has at the same time been transferred from the courts to the culture and information ministry, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported quoting culture and information ministry spokesman Abdul Rahman al-Hazza.
Many journalists, and a royal princess, voiced relief and support for Yami following the announcement.
Yami told journalists, “Even if I accepted the court’s verdict, I felt it was unjust. The sentence insulted not only me but all Saudi journalists. The royal pardon is the most important of the responses to the insults I received. After society’s condemnation, I can raise my head. My greatest concern is now the death threats I received by SMS and email.”
Yami, who has worked by some of the leading Saudi news media such as Rotana and Al-Madina, added that she regarded the case as closed and intended to continue working as a journalist.
