http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3667349.stm
Beaten Saudi woman speaks out
Earlier this month, a prominent Saudi television presenter made international headlines when she permitted newspapers to print horrific images of injuries she said she had sustained from an alleged beating by her husband.
Rania al-Baz's bruised and swollen face shocked the global community - and ignited an unprecedented public debate within Saudi Arabia itself over the normally taboo issue of domestic violence.
In an interview with the BBC's Outlook programme, Ms Baz reveals why she felt compelled to speak out about what happened to her and the extraordinary reaction her decision has prompted.
I'm fine now, but I've had to undergo some facelift surgery, After the injury I was in a very bad state and was about to die.
My husband first tried to strangle me until I fell unconscious, then he tried to smash my face.
Every violent man will be able to see the suffering that he causes and every woman afraid of falling into a similar situation will be able to avoid what happened to me
Later he took me to the hospital while I was still unconscious and dropped me off at the gate. He didn't give them my name, my family's telephone number or anything about me.
When my mother finally arrived, the doctor told her I had only a 3% chance of survival.
The reason why he beat me up was very trivial, we had an argument in which we exchanged no more than four sentences.
He had no reason for attacking me this way, but it wasn't the first time he was violent, although he had never been that violent before.
Encouraging victims
I kept silent until now because I didn't want to see my family being torn apart. I thought that maybe if I was patient enough I could make him change.
Now that I've made my story public, I'm scared. I've almost been through death, so I guess it's pretty normal that I now fear for my life and for my children's lives.
I decided to have my picture published so that it would be a lesson for others, for every man and every woman.
Some people have called me a heroine for doing so, but I don't know why.
Maybe people have appreciated that I dared to talk about a taboo subject so that others don't face the same thing.
In my opinion it isn't about being heroic, but about talking about what happens in reality.
However uncomfortable it is, it's better to talk about reality than to pretend that nothing bad is ever happening.
I believe I've encouraged other victims of domestic violence to follow suit.
I'm now campaigning with a human rights organisation which has received many letters and I have also received personally many letters of support from women saying that they will fight back.
Hoping for justice
My husband has now handed himself over to the police.
He became besieged by the police and the media - including the newspapers which published my picture - so it was better for him and I think it was courageous of him to do so.
A judge is now going to deal with our case. I have faith in the Saudi justice system, but I don't know what the sentence will be.
I'm just hoping that the judge will be fair to me and that my husband receives a punishment equal to what he did to me. No more, no less.
I was a well-known television presenter and I hope I'll be able to go back to my job without bruises.
The doctors assured me that my face will be almost 70% the same as it used to be.
But if it isn't, I might go back and work behind the scenes.