Saudi man dies in fall during religious police raid

A Saudi man in his 20s fell to his death after members of the religious police were called to his building over "moral transgressions", reports have said.

The Saudi Gazette reported yesterday that the man, who was unnamed, fell from the roof of a residential building in the city of Buraida.

The report said he was attempting to escape from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice [Haia]. The man was taken to hospital but died of his injuries, the newspaper reported.

Abdullah al-Mansoor, a spokesman for the Haia in al-Qassim province, told the newspaper: "The young man threw himself off the roof of the building when he saw Haia members surrounding the building."

Al-Hayat reported that Haia members were tipped off about "moral transgressions" in the area where the man died. The newspaper reported that he was found dead by the Haia.

Members of the religious police patrol the streets and enforce a dress code, strict gender separation, prayers by Muslims and other behaviour believed to be commanded by Islam.

A video went viral this week of a Haia member verbally assaulting and kicking a young women out of a shop for not wearing gloves even though she was dressed in an abaya, the loose flowing garment all women must wear in Saudi Arabia.