[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]
|
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
International News Title: Sentence of Saudi Student Unfair, Says Prince Ahmad JEDDAH, 5 September 2006 — Deputy Interior Minister Prince Ahmad stated yesterday that the 27-year prison sentence given by a Colorado court to Saudi student Homaidan Al-Turki was too much and hoped that US authorities would reduce the sentence. “It appears that the matter does not deserve such a (harsh) verdict and we hope it would be less than that,” he said, commenting on the verdict issued by the court on Aug. 31 after Al-Turki was convicted of 12 counts of forced sexual assault, two misdemeanors related to forced imprisonment, and theft for keeping the maid’s wages. Al-Turki, 37, a linguist who worked at a Denver publishing and translating firm, has denied the sexual assault charges and said US authorities were persecuting him for “traditional Muslim behaviors”. He blamed anti-Muslim prejudice for his conviction and the severity of his sentence. He says that prosecutors persuaded the maid to accuse him after they failed to build a case against him as a terrorist. Al-Turki had been investigated by the US authorities who suspected he might be abetting terrorism, but no case was ever found against him. “The Saudi government under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will do everything possible (in this case). We take care of our citizens wherever they may be and it’s the duty of the state to follow up these things,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Prince Ahmad as saying. Speaking to reporters after opening an educational exhibition in Makkah, Prince Ahmad confirmed the government’s efforts to win the release of Al-Turki. “We think that the sentence was unfair,” the minister said about the court verdict. Referring to other Saudis held in US custody, Prince Ahmad said most of the Saudi Guantanamo returnees were victims of injustice. “Many of them have already received adequate punishment. Many things related to them are controversial,” he said. He also blamed Saudis for being in places where they should not have been and then getting arrested. He said the trial of suspected militants involved in a series of terrorist acts across the Kingdom was progressing well. “All the detainees will get a fair trial and everybody will receive the punishment he deserves,” he explained. He also said that investigations on the four militants who surrendered to police last month in Jeddah after a 17-hour gun battle were continuing. The four militants were arrested on Aug. 21 in the heavy populated district of Al-Jamia in Jeddah. Referring to the Saudi prisoner Abdul Rahman Al-Atawi, who is in an Israeli jail, Ahmad said: “This man is a strange personality and it appears that he went there without any purpose. We are still following up the case.” Al-Atawi was caught crossing into Israel from Jordan in 2005. Asked about the prospects of changing regional governors, he said governors, like ministers, are appointed for four years. “There is a possibility of changes according to the declared law,” he said. Earlier, Prince Ahmad opened an exhibition on the history of education in Saudi Arabia organized by the Education Ministry. He also opened the Makkah Museum for Antiquities and Heritage located inside King Abdul Aziz Palace in Zahir. Education Minister Abdullah Bin-Obaid said the museum contains relics dating back to the pre-Islamic era as well as those from the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Suspected Militants Caught in Baha Four suspected militants were arrested Sunday in Baha, the Interior Ministry announced yesterday. The four suspects were apprehended in a remote village in the mountainous terrain in the south of the Kingdom. The suspects, who did not resist arrest, are currently under interrogation, said a ministry spokesman. Officials believe the four men are linked to subversive elements in the Kingdom. Al-Riyadh newspaper identified the suspects as three Saudis and a Yemeni. — Additional input by Samir Al-Saadi
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread |
|
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]
|