A Saudi Woman Arrested For Wearing Mini Skirt In Public, Released Without Charges

A Saudi Woman who was spotted wearing a miniskirt and crop top in a video posted online was arrested by Saudi Police on Tuesday but got released without any charges on the same day.

The woman, identified as Khulood, was detained by the police for violating Saudi Arabia’s strict dress code for women when she wore a miniskirt and crop top, according to the New York Times.

The video generated a Twitter hashtag that called for her arrest, with many saying she blatantly disobeyed Saudi rules, which require all women living in the kingdom, including foreigners, to wear long, loose robes known as abayas in public.

The Center for International Communication released a statement saying that the woman told investigators the video had been posted to Snapchat without her awareness. She was released on Tuesday evening after several hours of questioning and "the case has been closed by the prosecutor."

As noted by the Associated Press, the decision was "a rare win for supporters of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia," adding that her release without charge was "also unusual" as it is not uncommon for women who have escaped from allegedly abusive families or violated the driving ban to be held in prison without charge.

In the video, that was viral since first posted on Snapchat over the weekend, Khulood is filmed walking through the ruins of an ancient fort in Ushaiager, which is a town in the conservative province of Najd, where many of Saudi Arabia's most conservative tribes and families are from, is followed by other shots of her sitting in the desert.

The women in Saudi Arabia are required to wear an abaya- a robe-like black garment that covers everything but face, feet, and hands.