A Saudi court sentenced an army captain Saturday to 70 lashes for using a mobile phone on a domestic flight, court officials said.
The court said the man put passengers and himself at risk by using his phone during takeoff despite orders from members of the crew that he turn it off. The flight was delayed 30 minutes as a result, and airport security eventually escorted the man off plane, Al-Eqtisadiyah newspaper reported.
It was the kingdom's first such sentence against users of mobile phones on airplanes, the court officials said on condition of anonymity.
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and courts routinely order lashings and hand amputations for theft and other crimes, and public execution for murder, rape and drug trafficking. Human rights organizations have criticized those penalties, saying defendants do not receive fair trials and often do not have access to lawyers.
The court did not release the cell phone user's name, saying only that he was a captain of the Saudi Arabian army.
