Former member of Saudi's Shura Council on trial for walking into women’s gym

Saudi Arabia’s public prosecution referred a former member of the kingdom's Shura Council to court for entering a women's gym, Gulf News reported. 

The incident, which dates back to November 2017, saw the man enter a ladies only health club, sparking outrage among its members. 

According to court documents, the defendant insisted on walking into the club despite "protests from some women at the site who told him that men were not supposed to be there."

A witness in the case also told the court there was a clear sign hung at the entrance of the club stating that men were not allowed on its premises. 

Several of the women who were at the health club on the day of the incident added that the man stayed in there for over ten minutes.

When the case was first reported last year, the former Shura Council member, who owns the building where the gym is located, was said to have entered its premises to solve a dispute with the sports center's owner. 

At the time, it was also reported that the "defendant wanted to inspect the location and was unaware it was being used as a sports facility for women."

Even though he was initially found innocent by a Saudi court, he now faces a renewed legal battle because several gym-goers who were affected by the incident filed legal complaints against him. 

Saudi Arabia's Criminal Court is set to review the case again in April.

"What business does he have entering a ladies-only health club?"

"Maybe he thinks that because he's a Shura member, he has impunity everywhere." 

"Maybe he wanted to test women's reactions to this, see if they're open to mixed public spaces in order to then discuss the matter in a council meeting."