- RIYADH: Humaidan Al-Turki, a Saudi research student who was convicted in 2006 in the United States for abusing his maid, won his appeal to get his sentence reduced.
- He received a revised sentence of eight years, instead of the 28-year punishment he was handed by a Colorado court, on Friday.
Al-Turki, 36, was convicted of sexually assaulting his Indonesian housekeeper and keeping her as a virtual slave for four years.
Al-Turki’s lawyers on Friday succeeded in convincing the court hearing the appeal. The lawyers lodged an appeal to revise the 28-year sentence that he was handed, saying it contained a legal error.
The lawyers, according to family spokesperson Fahd Al-Nassar, had submitted documents and supporting letters requesting the case to be dropped or the sentence to be reduced.
The district attorney had admitted that the judge presiding over the case was only allowed to issue a sentence between four and 12 years.
Al-Turki’s lawyers have submitted documents and supporting letters requesting the case to be dropped or the sentence to be reduced. Among the letters is one from the director of the Colorado jail where Al-Turki is in prison, describing his good behavior and requesting a reduction in the sentence.
The director also said that medical costs to treat Al-Turki are high, and that he should therefore be sent home to receive better medical care.
Al-Nassar said the Saudi Embassy in Washington D.C. has filed a request for his release and that no response has been received so far. He added that the embassy has hired the services of four law offices to handle the request.
Meanwhile, Al-Turki’s wife and five children were thrilled on receiving the news of the reduction in the sentence. Al-Turki’s son said that his father had completed four-and-half-years of the sentence and is hopeful of seeing his father soon.
Members of the Saudi society received the news of Al-Turki’s revised term with relief.
