A gay Saudi man in his 30s has been sentenced to three years behind bars for having engaged in "immoral acts," according to Gulf News.
The man, whose name was not immediately available, was found guilty of having nude photos of himself on his mobile phone, and sharing those photos with men on social media. Saudi Arabia's Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice arrested the man for offering "to have sex with men for free," according to a local news site Sabq.
The man was sentenced and will be detained in Dammam, in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. He was also penalized with a fine of 100,000 Saudi riyals, equivalent to more than $26,000 USD.
Gulf News notes that Saudi Arabia is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council group of Middle Eastern nations, all of which outlaw homosexuality and "cross-dressing." Those member states include Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. Crackdowns against LGBT people have reportedly been underway in all six countries of late, with Kuwait arresting 23 men for wearing women's clothing at a "wild party" just last month, according to Gulf News.
Although homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia and can be punished by life in prison or even death, a 24-year-old gay Saudi man was recently sentenced to 450 lashes and three years in prison for "promoting debauchery." His crime was tweeting provocative photos and, according to religious authorities who set up a sting to capture the man, "promoting homosexual contact."
