A popular Egyptian social media influencer was arrested by Saudi police for posting sexually provocative content online. The arrest came after Tala Safwan posted a live video chat.
In the video, Safwan was chatting with a woman – asking her to go where she was staying in Riyadh because she was lonely. The friend refused, claiming it was late, 3.30 am.
Safwan responded: “Even better because everyone will be asleep and they won’t hear what I’ll do to you. They won’t hear your screams … from how much fun we’ll be having.”
Earlier this week, Saudi police said they had arrested an Egyptian resident “who appeared in a broadcast on a social media site talking to another woman with sexual content and suggestiveness that could have a negative impact on public morality.”
The video also caused outrage on social media, with a hashtag translating to “Tala offends society” trending on Twitter.
Same-sex sexual relations are prohibited under both Saudi Law and Sharia Law, and the punishment could be the death penalty.
In 2020, Saudi Arabia arrested then deported Mohamad al-Bokari, a blogger from Yemen, for “imitating women” and “promoting homosexuality online.” The blogger had posted a video on social media advocating for LGBT rights.
