JEDDAH, 21 May 2007 — The Court of Grievances has found a government official guilty of mistreating a Saudi family and fined him SR2,000, the Saudi Press Agency said quoting a statement from the Riyadh governorate. At the same time, the court acquitted another accused official, saying there was not enough evidence against him. A criminal court had previously found him guilty of mistreatment and fined him SR1,000, the statement said.
The Court of Grievances in Riyadh gave its verdict in a case filed by a mother and daughter who were stopped by officials of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in 2004 in front of Star City Amusement Park in Riyadh. The officials accused the women, who were in a car with their driver, of not conforming to customs of decency.
The governorate yesterday issued a detailed statement explaining the complaint filed by the family and the legal procedures taken against the accused. It said “a number of people” had stopped the family’s vehicle, asked the driver to get out of the car and then had beaten him up. “Two bearded men, allegedly commission members, drove the car with the family to a dark street and verbally abused the family,” the governorate said, quoting the family’s complaint. Verbal abuse that violates honor is punishable in Islam with lashes. The governor of Riyadh had set up a committee of government bodies including representatives from the Riyadh governorate, the Investigation and Prosecution Department, police and the commission to investigate the issue.
Commenting on the verdict, Abdul Rahman Al-Lahem, the women’s lawyer, said it did not conform with Saudi law that excludes nobody from questioning. “The verdict shows that the officials of the commission cannot be held accountable.”
In its statement, the governorate said the case was then passed on to the Investigation and Prosecution Department, adding the plaintiff had demanded compensation for mistreatment of the family and damage to the car. The case was then referred to the Court of Grievances to prosecute and punish the accused in accordance with the law. If the court had found the defendants guilty of misusing their power, they could be facing not more than 10 years jail sentence and a fine of up to SR20,000.
The women had initially demanded disciplinary action against the accused, the lawyer said.
