She Was Raped Then Lashed and Jailed

[Jacaylbaro]

A Saudi woman has been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison after she was the victim of a gang rape.

 

The sentence against the 19-year-old Shia woman from Qatif, in the Eastern Province of the country, was passed because she was in the car of a man who was not a relative at the time of the attack, which contravened strict Saudi laws on segregation.

 

A court had originally sentenced the woman to 90 lashes and the rapists to jail terms of between 10 months and five years but increased the punishment after an appeal, saying the woman had tried to use the media to influence them.

 

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According to the Arab News newspaper, the woman was gang-raped 14 times.

 

Her offence was in meeting a former boyfriend, whom she had asked to return pictures he had of her because she was about to marry another man.

 

The couple was sitting in a car when a group of seven Sunni men kidnapped them and raped them both, lawyers in the case told Arab News.

 

The former boyfriend was also sentenced to 90 lashes for being with her in private.

 

The victims' lawyer, Abdul-Rahman al-Lahem, was also ordered to face disciplinary action after he spoke to the media about the original sentence.

 

"My client is the victim of this abhorrent crime. I believe her sentence contravenes the Islamic Sharia law and violates the pertinent international conventions," he said.

 

"The judicial bodies should have dealt with this girl as the victim rather than the culprit.

 

"The court blamed the girl for being alone with unrelated men, but it should have taken the humane view that it cannot be considered her fault."

 

The crime of rape can carry the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

 

HERE

[Peacenow]

One more reason we need to check the growth of this virulent backward idealogy to 'Somalia'.

[Kool_Kat]

Boy, am I glad I am in CANADA!!!

[rudy-Diiriye]

stay in canada sista! or u be done deal..lol

[Kool_Kat]

^I am not going any where...Canada is my Home now...

[Khalaf]

The couple was sitting in a car when a group of seven Sunni men kidnapped them and raped them both, lawyers in the case told Arab News.

Sunni vs Shia bey ariintaan ka diigayaan, waadba uu jayda in ee meshaan politics ka jirto oo ee dhaan kala leyahiin..um muslimka iis ku diir.

 

sheekadaan wax diici kara maba ahaan ba. War ninyahow naga qalee and qashiinkaan aad postkarneysa naga daaf. Waan oghey in eey Muslim worldka islaamnimda haaqda ah kaa foog yahiin, lakiin enemy islamka baa buuxo and make up shit also, ogada taas nah.

[NGONGE]

^^^

 

Here is a Saudi source

 

Rape Victim’s Lawyer Refuses to Give In

Ebtihal Mubarak, Arab News

 

JEDDAH, 19 November 2007 — The lawyer representing a Saudi rape victim in Qatif has criticized the second ruling issued by the Kingdom’s Higher Court of Justice doubling the woman’s punishment to 200 lashes and six months in jail, saying that the ruling “sums up the major problems that the Saudi judiciary faces.”

 

Abdul Rahman Al-Lahem, 36, also criticized the General Court in Qatif for confiscating his license to practice law. On Wednesday the Qatif General Court announced the Higher Court of Justice’s verdict. Al-Lahem had previously asked the Ministry of Justice and the Human Rights Commission to review the first ruling issued by the General Court in Qatif, which had ordered the rape victim be given 90 lashes.

 

“Basic Islamic law states that an appeal shall not harm the person appealing,” said Al-Lahem, adding that lodging an appeal is the right of anyone accused of a crime and something crucial for a just trial. “Once this rule is ignored, then people who appeal verdicts are only left terrorized. From now on people will be apprehensive to appeal fearing they might be punished or have their sentences doubled. That’s exactly what’s happened to the rape victim, who only wanted justice,” he said.

 

The lawyer said that the Higher Court claimed that the woman being with a non-related male in the first place was the reason behind her rape. According to Saudi law, non-related men and women are not permitted to meet in private, a concept known as “khalwa.”

 

“This does not make sense at all,” said the lawyer, referring to the Higher Court ruling. “The police investigation records clearly state that the girl was with a non-related male friend in a public place when they were both abducted and later raped. This no doubt clears the girl from accusations that she was in khalwa,” he said.

 

The victim had met her friend to receive some photos of her that he had taken from a relationship with her when she was 16. She contends that the man had initially threatened to distribute the pictures to shame her. “The picture was even given to the police after that. We were hoping that the Higher Court would take all that into consideration when issuing its verdict, but unfortunately none of that happened,” said Al-Lahem.

 

Speaking about the revocation of his law license, Al-Lahem said that when he entered the General Court in Qatif he was asked to leave by Judge Saad Al-Mohanna, who said, “Get it back (the license) from the Ministry of Justice in Riyadh.” He also added that Al-Lahem was “arguing with falsity.”

 

“I did not say anything at all. All that I said was Assalamu alaykum and that’s it. I have human rights activist Fawziya Al-Oyoni, the girl and her husband as my witnesses,” said Al-Lahem. Incidentally, Al-Oyoni was also asked to leave the courtroom.

 

“The Saudi judicial system states clearly that such cases have to take place in public. That only shows that the judges underestimate the Kingdom’s legislation, which is in place to protect the rights of citizens,” he said.

 

Al-Lahem said that he has never disobeyed court orders. He recalled that last Ramadan when the Qatif General Court received from the Higher Court of Justice the second verdict, Judge Al-Mohanna insisted the girl be present to hear the verdict herself, in spite of the presence of the girl’s seven attackers.

 

“I told Sheikh Saad Al-Mohanna that according to Saudi legislation lawyers have the right to represent their clients even if they are absent unless the case involves a major crime like murder. It’s obvious that this is not the case here. I told him I would never allow my client to attend any hearing while her rapists are there,” he said.

 

“She is a rape victim, she is still suffering. That’s totally inhumane. Plus the hearing was not to take more testimonies but was only meant to announce the new verdict,” said Al-Lahem, adding that the judge said that the legislation does not apply here and postponed the hearing.

 

Al-Lahem said denying him his right to practice law at this sensitive time is a denial of his client from the right of having a defense. “Asking me to appear in front of a disciplinary committee at the Ministry of Justice on Dec. 5 is a punishment for taking human rights cases against some institutions that over time have gained some sort of immunity from questioning,” said Al-Lahem, referring to a recent case lodged by him, on behalf of a Saudi woman, against the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

 

He added that the law is clear that lawyers are not to be stopped from practicing without first being handed an official warning. “None of that happened,” he said.

 

“I’m still hopeful in Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s reforms that are taking place right now. We have to hope for a better future,” he said, adding that he is determined to submit a list of objections to the Cassation Court.

 

Qatif General Court declined to comment and said protocol demands that all press queries are handled by the Ministry of Justice in Riyadh, which is closed until Monday like all government offices due to the OPEC summit.

 

 

Arabnews.com

[N.O.R.F]

^^Are you following the news here in UAE?

 

Rape suspect 'must be charged for bid to murder'

By Bassam Za'za', Staff Reporter

Published: November 19, 2007, 00:02

 

 

Dubai: A suspect with Aids and Hepatitis, being prosecuted for having forceful sex with a French boy, should've been charged with 'attempted murder', the boy's lawyer told a court on Sunday.

 

"The suspect knew he has Aids and Hepatitis which are fatal diseases. When he reportedly had forceful sex with my 15-year-old victim, he was aware that those diseases are sexually transmitted. This is a murder attempt. The suspect continued to have sex with my client against his will though he was aware that he could kill my client [if the diseases got transmitted]," lawyer Hussain Al Jaziri, of Jaafar, A'alwan and Al Jaziri Advocates and Legal Consultants argued before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

 

He told presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir that the 35-year-old Emirati suspect, A.K., (whose medical reports confirmed that he has Aids and Hepatitis) should have been charged with premeditated murder or attempt to murder.

 

The Public Prosecution charged A.K., his 18-year-old compatriot, I.M., and a 17-year-old teenager (being prosecuted at Juveniles Court) I.S., with deception and kidnapping the 15-year-old student, A.R., and his 16-year-old compatriot, F.K., by offering to drive them home.

 

The three suspects were also charged with having a homosexual affair against A.R.'s will after threatening him with a knife and a stick.

 

Besides having denied his charge during his first court appearance, A.K. told the presiding judge yesterday: "I was drunk at the time of the incident." The other two suspects also denied their charges.

 

Public prosecutor, Ali Mohammad Al Naqbi, argued: "The suspects gave their blood samples about three months after the incident. Obviously they were afraid of getting exposed and put on trial." Al Naqbi said the prosecution is seeking the toughest punishment applicable in this crime.

 

"For two and a half months the police couldn't control A.K. to get a blood sample, so how would it be possible for A.R. to escape being sexually abused! My client cries day and night. He wishes he dies normally instead of dying of Aids," said Al Jaziri who is seeking Dh20,500 in temporary compensation.

 

gulfnews.com

[NGONGE]

That's just an unlucky case. I am sure the Dubai Courts will do the necessary. Can’t really say the same for the Saudi Courts.

[Xidigo]

Arabs ufff!

[who-me]

Miscarriage of justice is not just a saudi phenomenon but it can happen anywhere in the world and no society is immune to it and we all know that since facts do speak for them selves. Also why do some people always jump into the conclusion that saudi regime or saudis in general represent islam? give me a break..

[Jacaylbaro]

Arabs are not equal ,,,,, let's blame Saudis here ,, they do the most crazy, dirty and unfair charges against women.

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

In Rape Case, a French Youth Takes On Dubai

 

By THANASSIS CAMBANIS

Published: November 1, 2007

Correction Appended

 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 31 — Alexandre Robert, a French 15-year-old, was having a fine summer in this tourist paradise on the Persian Gulf. It was Bastille Day and he and a classmate had escaped the July heat at the beach for an air-conditioned arcade.

 

Just after sunset, Alex says he was rushing to meet his father for dinner when he bumped into an acquaintance, a 17-year-old, who said he and his cousin could drop Alex off at home.

 

There were, in fact, three Emirati men in the car, including a pair of former convicts ages 35 and 18, according to Alex. He says they drove him past his house and into a dark patch of desert, between a row of new villas and a power plant, took away his cellphone, threatened him with a knife and a club, and told him they would kill his family if he ever reported them.

 

Then they stripped off his pants and one by one sodomized him in the back seat of the car. They dumped Alex across from one of Dubai’s luxury hotel towers.

NYtimes

 

What i found funny, Port of the page is sponsored by the movie "The Savages".

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

This is what you get with fascist regimes with delusional leaderss that think the have divine authority or God on speed dial

 

Last Updated: Thursday, 27 July 2006, 19:01 GMT 20:01 UK

 

E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Execution of a teenage girl

A television documentary team has pieced together details surrounding the case of a 16-year-old girl, executed two years ago in Iran.

 

Atefah Sahaaleh: wrongly described as being 22 years old

 

On 15 August, 2004, Atefah Sahaaleh was hanged in a public square in the Iranian city of Neka.

 

Her death sentence was imposed for "crimes against chastity".

 

The state-run newspaper accused her of adultery and described her as 22 years old.

 

But she was not married - and she was just 16.

 

Sharia Law

 

In terms of the number of people executed by the state in 2004, Iran is estimated to be second only to China.

 

In the year of Atefah's death, at least 159 people were executed in accordance with the Islamic law of the country, based on the Sharia code.

 

Since the revolution, Sharia law has been Iran's highest legal authority.

 

Alongside murder and drug smuggling, sex outside marriage is also a capital crime.

 

As a signatory of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, Iran has promised not to execute anyone under the age of 18.

 

But the clerical courts do not answer to parliament. They abide by their religious supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, making it virtually impossible for human rights campaigners to call them to account.

 

Code of behaviour

 

At the time of Atefah's execution in Neka, journalist Asieh Amini heard rumours the girl was just 16 years old and so began to ask questions.

 

 

To teach others a lesson, Atefah's execution was held in public

 

"When I met with the family," says Asieh, "they showed me a copy of her birth certificate, and a copy of her death certificate. Both of them show she was born in 1988. This gave me legitimate grounds to investigate the case."

 

So why was such a young girl executed? And how could she have been accused of adultery when she was not even married?

 

Disturbed by the death of her mother when she was only four or five years old, and her distraught father's subsequent drug addiction, Atefah had a difficult childhood.

 

She was also left to care for her elderly grandparents, but they are said to have shown her no affection.

 

In a town like Neka, heavily under the control of religious authorities, Atefah - often seen wandering around on her own - was conspicuous.

 

It was just a matter of time before she came to the attention of the "moral police", a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, whose job it is to enforce the Islamic code of behaviour on Iran's streets.

 

Secret relationship

 

Being stopped or arrested by the moral police is a fact of life for many Iranian teenagers.

 

Previously arrested for attending a party and being alone in a car with a boy, Atefah received her first sentence for "crimes against chastity" when she was just 13.

 

Although the exact nature of the crime is unknown, she spent a short time in prison and received 100 lashes.

 

 

Atefah was soon caught in a downward spiral of arrest and abuse

 

When she returned to her home town, she told those close to her that lashes were not the only things she had to endure in prison. She described abuse by the moral police guards.

 

Soon after her release, Atefah became involved in an abusive relationship with a man three times her age.

 

Former revolutionary guard, 51-year-old Ali Darabi - a married man with children - raped her several times.

 

She kept the relationship a secret from both her family and the authorities.

 

Atefah was soon caught in a downward spiral of arrest and abuse.

 

Local petition

 

Circumstances surrounding Atefah's fourth and final arrest were unusual.

 

The moral police said the locals had submitted a petition, describing her as a "source of immorality" and a "terrible influence on local schoolgirls".

 

But there were no signatures on the petition - only those of the arresting guards.

 

 

Men's word is accepted much more clearly and much more easily than women

Mohammad Hoshi,

Iranian lawyer and exile

 

Three days after her arrest, Atefah was in a court and tried under Sharia law.

 

The judge was the powerful Haji Rezai, head of the judiciary in Neka.

 

No court transcript is available from Atefah's trial, but it is known that for the first time, Atefah confessed to the secret of her sexual abuse by Ali Darabi.

 

However, the age of sexual consent for girls under Sharia law - within the confines of marriage - is nine, and furthermore, rape is very hard to prove in an Iranian court.

 

"Men's word is accepted much more clearly and much more easily than women," according to Iranian lawyer and exile Mohammad Hoshi.

 

"They can say: 'You know she encouraged me' or 'She didn't wear proper dress'."

 

Court of appeal

 

 

 

She was my love, my heart... I did everything for her, everything I could

Atefah's father

 

When Atefah realised her case was hopeless, she shouted back at the judge and threw off her veil in protest.

 

It was a fatal outburst.

 

She was sentenced to execution by hanging, while Darabi got just 95 lashes.

 

Shortly before the execution, but unbeknown to her family, documents that went to the Supreme Court of Appeal described Atefah as 22.

 

"Neither the judge nor even Atefah's court appointed lawyer did anything to find out her true age," says her father.

 

And a witness claims: "The judge just looked at her body, because of the developed physique... and declared her as 22."

 

Judge Haji Rezai took Atefah's documents to the Supreme Court himself.

 

And at six o'clock on the morning of her execution he put the noose around her neck, before she was hoisted on a crane to her death.

 

Pain and death

 

During the making of the documentary about Atefah's death the production team telephoned Judge Haji Rezai to ask him about the case, but he refused to comment.

 

The human rights organisation Amnesty International says it is concerned that executions are becoming more common again under President Mahmoud Ahmedinajad, who advocates a return to the pure values of the revolution.

 

The judiciary have never admitted there was any mishandling of Atefah's case.

 

For Atefah's father the pain of her death remains raw. "She was my love, my heart... I did everything for her, everything I could," he says.

 

He did not get the chance to say goodbye.