Five Saudi women are seized for driving

At least five Saudi women have been taken into custody accused of defying the men-only driving rule, an activist said yesterday.

The detentions mark the first major backlash since a campaign was launched by women nearly two weeks ago to challenge the restrictions. Dozens of women have since driven through the capital, Riyadh, and other cities.

The Saudi-based rights activist Eman al-Nafjan said that police detained one woman on Tuesday while driving in Jeddah on the Red Sea coast. Four other women accused of driving were later detained in the city.