Morsi urged to request Saudi Arabia to cancel Egyptian businesswoman's 500-lashes punishment

Cairo, Aug 29 (ANI): An Egyptian women rights group has urged the country's President, Mohammad Morsi, to request the Saudi authorities to cancel the 500-lashes punishment against a businesswoman.

Egypt's Najla Yahya Wafa has already received 300 lashes, 50 a week, and the remaining 200 lashes are expected soon, the country's National Commission for Women (NCW) said.

According to Gulf News, several other Egyptian groups had also urged Morsi to help Najla who was arrested in Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2009 and sentenced in 2011 to five years in prison and to 500 lashes, due to dispute in business partnership.

Najla's family said that she was living in Saudi Arabia for the last seven years and had set up an event management company.

However, she has reportedly fallen out with her partner.

According to the report, her father, a doctor, said that he had turned down calls by Egyptian groups to organise rallies in front of the Saudi embassy in Cairo to press for Najla's release. (ANI)