Arab News is running this story about yet another complaint about abuse of power on the part of the religious police. This time around, they detained two men alleged to have an unrelated female with them and having alcohol. Neither were found in the car which crashed when it tried to escape from two unmarked cars.

The Governor of Riyadh, Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, is reported to have ordered an investigation into the matter.

Riyadh Governorate Confirms Probing Complaint Against Commission
Raid Qusti, Arab News

RIYADH, 10 June 2007 — The governorate of Riyadh confirmed yesterday to Arab News that it is investigating a complaint filed by a Saudi citizen against the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice for alleged harassment and detention of his two sons. The father claims members of the moral police wrongfully arrested his two sons for possession of alcohol and for having illicit contact with a 16-year-old girl.

He also said they wrecked his son’s car when they chased the young men in two unmarked vehicles.

“When their car was forcefully halted on the street and they (the commission men) realized the girl was not with them, they told the boys to take out the liquor they had. When no liquor was found, they arrested them,” said the father, Riyadh resident Fahd Al-Bishi. “It got worse when they confiscated their mobile phones and personal belongings in their pockets.”

Arab News tried to get a response from the commission but no one there was answering the phone yesterday. The news comes as president of the commission Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Ghaith is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting today with the heads of virtue centers in the Kingdom to discuss the conduct of field operatives and the handling of suspects.