24 Mar 2020; MEMO: Saudi authorities have released hundreds of prisoners from Al-Shumaisi Prison as 119 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded, bringing the country’s total to 511.
Activists on Twitter shared a video showing what was said to be hundreds of prisoners spreading across the streets after they were released.
They added that most of the released prisoners are people who violated residency regulations or who were convicted in criminal cases.
A curfew is now in place in the Kingdom. The Saudi Interior Ministry said on Monday that those who breach the curfew will be fined 10,000 Saudi Riyals (around $2,662).
Pro-democracy activists are calling for the release of political prisoners amid rising fears of a coronavirus outbreak in prisons.
