Four Saudi Men Face Lashes and Imprisonment for Dancing Naked on Car

Four Saudi men have been sentenced to hundreds of lashes and imprisonment after one of them was allegedly filmed dancing naked on top of a car.

According to the local daily al-Sharq, the four young men were given the punishment along with a fine of $13,000 (£8,000) by the criminal court in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia.

Three of them received three to seven years in prison while the fourth was given 10 years and 2,000 lashes.

All of them were charged with "dancing on a vehicle in public, violating public morals", but there evidence was presented only against one alleged participant. The public prosecutor, however, was not satisfied with the punishment, calling it a "lighter sentence".

The Saudi kingdom enforces a strict form of Islamic Sharia law and public entertainment is banned.

The dancing video was reportedly uploaded online enraging scores of Saudis who chided the "open immoral and decadent behaviour".

The men have the right to appeal against the sentence.

The incident is thought to have taken place in al-Qasseem province, one of the most conservative places in the kingdom, during a winter camp where scores of young men were gathered.

The local report said two of the four men were "security men, who were supposed to preserve the security of this country and the values and traditions of Islam".

The vehicle on which the men danced was also seized by the authorities.