Foreigners Arrested By Saudi Religious Police For Partying Are Convicted

Both the Guardian and the Associated Press yesterday report that a Saudi Arabian judge has sentenced 20 foreigners to several months in prison and to lashes for arranging, attending and videoing a party where they drank alcohol and where men and women danced together. They were among 433 foreigners -- over half women-- who were arrested by Saudi religious police for arranging an "impudent" party held in Jiddah . Since May, the power of the religious police has been limited to arresting suspects. Previously they sometimes had held people incommunicado and took part in ensuing investigations.