Two get lashes, jail for criticizing health dept.

NAJRAN: Two employees of the Najran health department — consultant and pharmacist — have been awarded jail sentences and lashes for criticizing the department’s recruitment method on Twitter, an online newspaper reported on Monday.
In its preliminary order, the criminal court of Najran awarded one with six months in jail and 100 lashes and the other four months in jail and 200 lashes.
The directorate of health had filed a case against them for their allegations as well as verbal criticism of the public prosecution.
Earlier, the two employees had also complained to Abdullah Al-Rabiah, the former health minister, about their disagreement on the recruitment procedure for higher positions.
Lawyer Ali Al-Hattab was quoted as saying that the court order has come for these two medical cadres who have been sent abroad on scholarship by the government. “What they have done was just criticism on medical errors and corruption without pointing fingers to any particular person.”
He said all the charges against them had been dropped. But the case was again initiated, resulting in this judgment. They will appeal the order, he added.