Pakistani activists are claiming that two transgender women from Pakistan were beaten to death by police in Saudi Arabia last week after being arrested there along with more than 30 other members of Saudi Arabia's transgender community.
Farzana Riaz, a leader of the campaign group Trans Action Pakistan, told a press conference in Peshawar, Pakistan, on March 6 that several members of Saudi Arabia's transgender community had complained about the alleged beating deaths.
Riaz said the sources alleged that two Pakistani transgender women were forced into sacks by Saudi police and then beaten to death by police with batons.
Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry would not immediately comment on the allegations.
Officials from Pakistan's Interior Ministry were not immediately available for comment, and it was not immediately possible to verify the reported deaths.
Saudi media reported last week that police had raided a party where men were dressed as women and wearing makeup.
The Saudi media reports said about 35 people had been arrested but did not use the word transgender nor report that anyone had been killed.