A Saudi man has accused members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) of beating him up, resulting in a broken nose and jaw, and several bruises to his face.
Haia Chairman Abdullatif Al-Asheikh has reportedly launched an investigation into the incident. Pictures of the bloodied and battered man in hospital have been posted on social networking sites.
The victim’s brother was quoted as saying in a local publication that Haia members had stopped him at Othaim Mall in Naseem District in the eastern part of Riyadh.
They had asked for his identity card, but when he said that he did not have it with him, the Haia members took him to one of their offices. At the office, they asked him for the personal identity number of his mobile phone, but he refused to comply, the brother said.
An argument then ensued between the young man and one Haia member who left the room and locked the door behind him.
A few minutes later, the Haia member returned with four other members and they began beating him until he passed out, his brother alleged.
The young man was taken to Prince Muhammed bin Abdulaziz Hospital in Riyadh where medical tests showed he had bruises to his face and a broken nose and jaw.
There has been widespread condemnation of the Haia members on the Internet. Haia spokesman Turki Al-Shilail has confirmed an investigation is under way.
The incident comes less than a month after the Haia confirmed that three of its members had broken regulations by forcing 21 female students to get off a bus.
The Haia had sanctioned the members.
Haia officials accused of assaulting man
Haia officials accused of assaulting man
Rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea
- Turtles travel thousands of kilometers to Red Sea
- Nesting 6,500km away in India’s Andaman Islands
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has documented a rare sighting of a leatherback sea turtle in the Red Sea, marking a significant biological record for one of the planet’s most critically endangered marine species.
The sighting occurred approximately 30 km off the coast of Al-Qunfudhah within the Blue Holes Protected Area, a newly established marine reserve, according to a recent report from the Saudi Press Agency.
The NCW said the presence of a leatherback in these waters was an exceptional event.
Recognized as the largest turtle species on Earth, the leatherback can weigh up to 900 kilograms. It has a unique leathery, black carapace — distinguished by five longitudinal ridges rather than a hard bony shell — and able to dive to depths exceeding 1,000 meters.
Noting the species’ migratory nature, the center explained that leatherbacks travel thousands of kilometers foraging for jellyfish. The specimen likely navigated through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait in search of food.
This is considered a remarkable journey, the NCW said, noting that the nearest known populations reside in the Indian Ocean, spanning waters from South Africa to Sri Lanka (roughly 7,000 to 8,000 km away).
The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, approximately 6,500 kilometers away. No nesting activity has been recorded in the Red Sea.
According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the leatherback is Critically Endangered in the Indian Ocean.
While data for the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf is scarce, recent isolated sightings include a juvenile recorded in Jordan in December 2025 and another off Djibouti in 2019.
The NCW emphasized that these rare appearances highlight the ecological importance of the Kingdom's marine conservation efforts in the Red Sea.
The center pointed to the Farasan Islands Marine Protected Area, along with the new Blue Holes and Ras Hatiba reserves, as critical sanctuaries that could support the expansion in range of such endangered species.
