65 husbands jailed for contempt of court
Courts in Riyadh have sentenced more than 65 men to prison terms ranging from 2 days to three months for their refusal to implement court rulings in favor of their former wives, the Ministry of Justice announced.
The rulings made recently said that the men either refused to pay alimony or prevented children from visiting their mothers, the ministry said.
Some verdicts were also issued against men who delayed in applying for official documents for their sons and daughters in accordance with Article 95 of the Judiciary System, the ministry said.
The ministry said it will not tolerate a lack of implementation of judicial rulings and will send to prison anybody who refuses to implement all of the provisions of the judiciary.
The ministry said that courts recently issued rulings that raised terms of imprisonment for errant husbands to more than three months and aimed to alleviate their suffering after divorce as a result of the intransigence of their former husbands.
The ministry explained that these rulings are issued only after the long reconciliation process is exhausted.
The ministry, in cooperation with the Supreme Judiciary Council ( SJC), recently allowed single mothers the right to visit the Civil Status offices, Passport Department offices, embassies, schools and departments of education and some government and private bodies to finalize transactions and formalities related to their children.