Members of Saudi Arabia's Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (also known as religious police), who were detained after reportedly assaulting a woman earlier this week, were found innocent, Sabq news site reported.
The latest news comes days after footage of an altercation between one of the men and a woman sitting outside her workplace, went viral on social media, sparking outrage among users.
Amid the intense social media backlash, authorities launched an investigation into the case and detained 2 religious police members.
According to Sabq's sources, Public Prosecutor Sheikh Saood Al Mojab, ordered the immediate release of the 2 men after video evidence proved them innocent.
When investigators thoroughly investigated the matter, viewing extensive footage of the incident and interviewing those involved, it became evident that both men couldn't be indicted in the case, the news site wrote.
Footage capturing the incident sparked outrage on social media
In the hours after the incident, the woman's brother shared details of the assault with Sabq news site, stating that his sister had to be hospitalized after the attack.
"My sister was sitting outside the retail store where she works when members of the religious police spotted her and ordered her to go back inside. She explained that she couldn't go back in until she is called by her supervisors. Her friends at work filmed the argument using their mobile phones. This seemed to anger the man who later followed her inside and assaulted her," he said.
At the time, the woman's brother also explained that he had evidence of the assault and stated that several eyewitnesses were at the scene when it happened.
Mixed reactions to the latest turn of events
Soon after news of the case started to make the rounds online, hundreds reacted to it.
Some said the woman might have exaggerated her claims, while others defended her, raising several questions about the entire incident.
A few called on authorities to punish the woman
"Punish the woman who unjustly defamed the religious police member."
"Why not punish the woman and her brother for falsely accusing the man?"
"Why not punish the woman and her brother for falsely accusing the man and saying she had to be hospitalized?"
However, many others still had questions
"Tell us how you proved they didn't assault her?? She documented the attack using videos and images."
"Who's phone did the bearded man grab then? Who were people trying to hold him back from then?
"Doesn't confiscating someone's phone count as an assault?"
Some people remain unconvinced
"They always make excuses."
"Just confiscating someone's phone is considered against the law"
"They have no right to confiscate or search anyone's mobile except if they have a warrant."