Saudi authorities have extended by 10 days custody of a woman who defied the conservative Muslim kingdom's ban on women behind the wheel, a prison spokesman said.

Abdullah Harbi, quoted on the news website Sabaq, said Manal al-Sharif, 32, who was detained last Saturday, faced another 10 days behind bars.

Rights activists have been campaigning for her release, and a petition launched by Gulf intellectuals has been addressed to King Abdullah calling for her to be set free.

Sharif was arrested while driving in the Eastern Province city of Al-Khobar, a day after she posted a footage on the video-sharing website YouTube showing her behind the wheel.

Although traffic police released her after a few hours, the computer security consultant was later re-arrested from her home by criminal investigation police, her lawyer Adnan al-Saleh said, and ordered held for five days.

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