Bahrain: Woman Charged With Smoking in the Day During Ramadan

A woman has been charged with insulting Ramadan as she smoked a cigarette during daylight hours while she was being questioned at Bahrain International Airport.

According to Gulf Daily News, the 32-year-old Egyptian woman, whose name was not disclosed, was stopped by the airport's officers who wanted to search her luggage.

As she refused, the officers escorted her to the lieutenant's office for questioning.

The woman allegedly insulted the lieutenant, knocked off his hat and then smoked a cigarette.

"I had a cigarette as I was not fasting because I was travelling," the woman said in her statement to prosecutors.

"I needed to travel back to my home country for Ramadan and I was late to board my flight.

"I accidentally knocked off the policeman's hat because I was waving my hands around trying to explain to him that I was late for my flight and that's why I did not want a thorough examination of my luggage."

As well as smoking a cigarette during daylight hours, the woman was also charged with insulting a police officer.

She was released on 500 Bahrain dinar (£775; $1326) bail by the Lower Criminal Court.

The trial was adjourned until 14 July.