The lawyer of 53-year-old Um Muhammad confirmed that the court had overturned his client’s conviction for allegedly mistreating Sumiati Binti Salan Mustapa.
Abdul Rahman Hajjar said Um Muhammad was released after Sumiati’s lawyer failed to present compelling evidence that she had been tortured.
Hajjar said his client is planning to file a lawsuit against all those she deemed responsible for putting her in prison for many months. The appeal court’s decision is binding.
Sultan bin Zahim, a lawyer assigned by Human Rights Commission (HRC) to follow the case, told Arab News that he was not informed of the court’s decision. He said he is expecting to receive notification early next week.
Zahim said the commission has been following the case the moment the maid arrived for treatment at a hospital in Madinah. They notified police who then opened an investigation with the sponsor. The maid claimed that Um Muhammad tortured her.
During investigations, police discovered that she had escaped from her sponsor’s house many days before she arrived at the hospital. Officers had become suspicious when the maid demanded millions of riyals in compensation.
Nevertheless, the case was referred to a local court in Madinah and Um Muhammad was convicted. A maid employed by Um Muhammad's daughter told the court that she saw the woman torturing Sumiati four times.
When the judge was shown the photos of the injuries, he reportedly said they were conclusive evidence.
A court of appeals in Madinah disagreed and said it did not see any hard evidence of torture, especially as the maid did not go to hospital immediately after she disappeared from her sponsor's house following the alleged assault.
