JEDDAH, 18 April 2007 — Fatima, the 34-year-old mother of two who preferred to remain in a Dammam prison for nine months after being forcefully divorced by an Al-Jouf court in absentia, has finally moved to a shelter home last Sunday, her lawyer Abdul Rahman Al-Lahem said yesterday.
After Riyadh’s Appeal Court in January upheld a judge’s decision to divorce the woman, Al-Lahem sent a request to Social Affairs Minister Abdul Mohsen Al-Akkas asking him to put Fatima in a women’s shelter. It took him two months to arrange the alternative accommodation.
In this highly publicized case, a judge nullified Fatima’s marriage to Mansour Al-Timani on July 20, 2005, after her family alleged that Al-Timani had misled them about his tribal affiliations — a charge that he denies.
Since last February, after publicly announcing his determination to move Fatima to a shelter home, Al-Lahem has kept a low profile fearing Fatima’s safety.
Fatima has previously refused to leave prison. Although, since arriving there, she has spent a day at a shelter as part of efforts by the Social Affairs Ministry.
“I stayed there for less than half a day. I demanded that I go back to prison; it’s much safer here. No one can just walk in anytime and meet me without my approval. Plus I feel that it is an advantage that people will not forget my case. I have no one else to turn to now since my father is dead and my own family insists on ruining my life by separating me from my husband and children,” said Fatima in an exclusive interview with Arab News last November.
Since then, although she is not a convicted prisoner, prison officials have denied Fatima access to the media.
“I only saw her twice last month at the Dammam prison. I talked to her on the phone shortly before that and was able to convince her to move to a shelter home,” said Al-Lahem.
When Fatima accepted the offer, prison officials refused to allow her to leave. Latifa Al-Tamimi, manager of the women’s section of the Social Affairs Ministry in the Eastern Province, contacted Brig. Abdul Rahman Al-Rowaisan to tell him that the Social Affairs Ministry is a government body and has the authority to deal with cases such as Fatima’s, especially when they have an official order from the social affairs minister, said Al-Lahem. Al-Tamimi was unavailable for comment.
In turn, Dammam prison officials claimed that they must have a direct order from the Eastern Province Governorate to release Fatima and her child. Commenting on this, Al-Lahem said, “That is nonsense and totally against the law.”
Al-Lahem wrote a letter three weeks ago to Governor of the Eastern Province Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd informing him about the prison breaking Saudi law that prohibits the imprisonment of people without charge and that it was inhumane to imprison Fatima and her one-year-old child like this. A copy of the letter was also sent to the National Human Rights Commission headed by Turki Al-Sudairi and Social Affairs Minister Al-Akkas.
Two weeks ago Al-Lahem met the Director of Saudi Prisons Maj. Ali Al-Harithy to inform him about the “strange attitude” of prison officials. Al-Lahem said that Al-Harithy was very understanding and cooperative.
“It was a long struggle, but at least she is in a safe place now. She is in a more humane atmosphere than a prison for sure,” said Al-Lahem, adding that the shelter is not a permanent solution and that her three-year-old daughter, Noha, may join her there too. Noha has been with her father after prison officials insisted Al-Timani look after her in October.
Fatima has been prohibited from speaking to her “ex-husband” since last January because Saudi law no longer considers the couple as man and wife.
Al-Lahem also revealed that he has postponed a petition to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. He is currently awaiting the decision of a committee formed recently by the Justice Ministry to issue a ruling regarding various tribal divorces.
“The committee, as I heard, is going to set a rule that prohibits tribal divorces without the consent of the couples involved. Meaning even close relatives are not allowed to interfere in marriages anymore,” said Al-Lahem, adding that after the committee announces its ruling, his petition to the king will carry more weight. The king would then be able to send the case back to the Supreme Judiciary Council, which would have the final say on the case.
“I’m leaving this place on one condition only: That I go back to my husband,” Fatima told Arab News in her only statement to the media in November.
This week she left prison but not for the place she was fighting and struggling to go to — her home. Presently she remains at an unidentified shelter home in Dammam. After nine months in prison, the dilemma of the most talked-about Saudi woman in the Kingdom remains unsolved.
