The ruling on whether imprisonment serves as a substitute for exile

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. There are questions being asked, saying: Does imprisonment serve as a substitute for exile in this time? No.

Answer:
According to the Hanafis, yes, but the majority of scholars say no. The majority hold that exile means degrading the person and expelling him from the country of the crime to another country at a distance that qualifies as travel. Is a woman exiled? Yes, a woman is exiled with her mahram (a relative one may not marry). She is exiled with her mahram, and the mahram’s financial maintenance is her responsibility. Yes.