Coronavirus pandemic: Saudi Arabia mall 'spitter' may get death penalty

Image Credit: Gulf News

Cairo: A unidentified man, who was arrested for spitting at trolleys at a shopping mall in Saudi Arabia, maybe given death sentences if convicted. Gulf News said this while quoting a source in the prosecution office.

The offender was arrested after he was spotted spitting at the shopping trolleys in the region of Hail in north-western Saudi Arabia. The incident came to light at a time when the Saudi kingdom is battling to contain the novel coronavirus.

The man was remotely interrogated shortly after his arrest. However, the motive behind the crime is yet to be ascertained.

"His act is considered among major crimes. This behaviour is religiously and legally condemned. It is regarded as imparting corruption by deliberately seeking to spread the coronavirus epidemic among members of society and stirring panic among them," the source was quoted as saying.

Punishment for the act can reach the death penalty, the source added.

Saudi authorities have reported two deaths from the highly contagious disease among a total of 900 cases. The kingdom has taken a series of measures against the virus.

Saudi Arabia`s King Salman had on Friday ordered the disbursement of up to 9 billion Riyals ($2.39 billion) in financial support to more than 1.2 million citizens who work in private sector companies affected by the economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.