Nurse Escapes Saudi Lashes for Drinking, Will Leave Country
An Australian nurse, sentenced to 65 lashes in Saudi Arabia for drinking alcohol, has been released without the punishment on condition that she leave the country by the end of the week, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday.
Diane Elizabeth Bartram, 34, was arrested July 1 at Khamis Mushait, 500 miles southeast of Riyadh. She had been working in the military hospital there for the last three years, the spokesman said.
Under Saudi Arabia’s Islam-based laws, those caught drinking alcohol are publicly caned. Liquor is banned, but smuggling and home distilling keep both Saudis and expatriates supplied with alcoholic beverages.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
