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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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29 January 2008
Alert Update: King Pardons Saudi Gang Rape Victim
The teenage gang-rape victim from Qatif province, who was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail for being alone in the car with an unrelated man, was pardoned by King Abdullah in December 2007.
The girl’s sentence and jail term have been reportedly quashed. According to Al Jazeera, the Saudi Justice Minister, Abdullah bin Mohammed al-Sheikh, stated that ‘the pardon did not mean that the King doubted the country’s judges, but instead acted in the “interests of the people.”’
Both the girl and the man were reportedly gang-raped a year-and-a-half ago and were initially sentenced to 90 lashes each. However, the sentence of the girl was increased after she appealed against her sentence but lost the hearing in the Higher Court of Justice. According to a quote by an official in Arab News, the judges increased her sentence because she had used the influence of the media to put pressure on the judiciary.
For more details regarding this case, please refer to our previous alert: https://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=3012
IHRC appreciates and thanks all supporters who campaigned for this girl.
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Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75
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