Saudi Arabia 'may jail woman who posted video of husband groping housemaid'

The woman shared the video on social media

A Saudi woman who filmed a clip appearing to show her husband groping their housemaid could face prison because of the nation's defamation laws.

The woman secretly shot the encounter between her husband and the maid on her phone. The resulting footage appears to show the man talking to a maid and kissing her.

Seeking her revenge, she shared the footage on a social media alongside the caption: “the minimum punishment for this husband is to scandalise him.”

A woman filmed her husband during an encounter with their maid

The video, shown above, went viral in Saudi Arabia, with many viewers rallying in support of the wife, the Sada newspaper reported, according to Emirates 24/7.

“I salute you warmly for your valiant courage,” Al Yamama, a blogger, said of the woman’s decision, according to Gulf News.

“You did the best thing because there was an urgent need for revenge and your revenge is the best."

However, Majid Qaroob, a top Saudi lawyer, said the woman could be handed a one-year prison sentence or a fine of 500,000 Saudi Riyals (£87,630).

"This law [on information technology crimes] includes stiff punishment for anyone using mobile phones with a camera or other equipment to photograph others and defame them," he said.

Millions of people work as maids in the Gulf States, many of whom are migrants from poor countries such as the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.