Bangladeshi expats arrested for 'disrespecting Saudi flag'

Four Bangladeshi expatriates have been arrested in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for allegedly ‘insulting the country’s national flag”, according to media reports Thursday.

The arrests were made after a video posted on social media earlier in the week showed a man emptying a Saudi flag which was being used to hold refuse, before cleaning it and folding it up.

The four offenders, who are not seen in the video, allegedly tied up the flag to create a sack to contain the litter, Gulf News reported.

مقطع متداول ..
لابد من التحقيق مع المتسبب في رمي #علم_المملكة ، واستخدامه بطريقة مهينة .
المنشأة المتسببة في ذلك لابد من إحالة المسؤول عنها إلى التحقيق واتخاذ العقوبة التي يستحقها، إضافة إلى إيقاع العقوبة بكل من له علاقة بهذا التصرف . pic.twitter.com/qh1wsiAZjF

— فهد اللويحق (@fahedloweehig) January 25, 2022

Saudi news agency SPA quoted a police spokesperson as saying that it is “necessary to preserve the Saudi flag and avoid insulting it in any way."

"Anyone who violates this will be arrested and face legal action," he said.

The Saudi national flag features a sword and the Islamic shahada “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” across its centre.

Disrespecting state symbols is punishable by a maximum sentence of one year in prison or by a fine of up to SR 3,000 ($800), or both.

Jeddah police have referred the men to the Saudi public prosecution for legal proceedings to be enacted.