YANBU, 29 July 2006 — In a complaint raised against the Yanbu police, the Court of Grievances here awarded a Syrian resident SR530,000 for wrongful imprisonment based on theft accusations leveled at the man by his Saudi employer, Al-Madinah newspaper reported yesterday.
The sponsor was also ordered by the court to receive 120 lashes doled out in groups of three after being found guilty of bearing false witness against his employee.
The Saudi accused the Syrian employee of stealing funds and forging documents at work. The report did not say what type of work the employee or his sponsor was engaged in.
The Syrian subsequently spent a year in jail as his trial commenced. After being found not guilty of the charges, the Syrian sued the Yanbu police for wrongful imprisonment.
The lawsuit cited Saudi law that says suspects can only be held for 72 hours without having formal charges filed against them based on sufficient evidence of guilt.
The court found the charges brought on by the sponsor as “malicious.”
