JEDDAH, 26 April 2006 — The judge who had previously sentenced an Indonesian maid to 79 lashes for falsely accusing her sponsor and his wife of torturing her has reversed his sentence.
Arab News has learned that the judge who in December sentenced Nour Miyati, the maid brought to a Riyadh hospital back in March 2005 in a critical condition, has revoked that sentence but upheld the sentence of 35 lashes against the sponsor’s wife for beating Miyati.
Miyati’s lawyer, Nasser Al-Dandani, appointed by the Indonesian Embassy, confirmed this reversal. “This proves the integrity of the Saudi judicial system,” said Al-Dandani.
After the previous sentencing, he filed an appeal with the court of cassation, which approved the appeal and returned the case to the judge.
Miyati was brought to a hospital by her sponsor in March 2005, suffering from gangrene to her fingers, toes and a part of her right foot in addition to other signs of physical abuse. Doctors had to amputate some of her fingers and toes. At first Miyati claimed her sponsor tied her up for a month in a bathroom and beat her severely injuring her eyes and knocking out some of her teeth.
Investigators who later questioned her without the presence of an Indonesian Embassy representative, a lawyer, or a member of the National Society for Human Rights, said she changed her testimony about the torture. She was then charged with making false accusations and was put in jail for a few days after she had recovered a little from her wounds and amputations.
Her lawyer managed to release her under his personal guarantee and place her in his house where she remains until her case is over. Meanwhile, the sponsor was found innocent due to lack of evidence against him but his wife who had admitted to beating Miyati was sentenced to 35 lashes.
“This takes care of the public right. The private right of Miyati against her sponsor is still under processing,” said Al-Dandani.
He expects the sentencing, which would be in the form of monetary compensation, to be issued in two months and Miyati allowed to return to her country. In addition to the lashings, the wife might receive a jail sentence for beating Miyati.
