Saudi Arabia: Punishment of a Rape Victim

By Gabie Hart

In recent weeks the Saudi Arabian Government has been making headlines over the sentencing of a Saudi rape victim whose sentence on appeal was increased to 6 months in prison as well as 200 lashes for having been out with another man who was not her husband (at the time of the incident she apparently was engaged and not yet married). Meeting a man was a violation of Islamic law because she apparently was out without being accompanied by a male guardian. The woman and man were attacked by seven men and both were gang raped a year and a half ago.

There is some controversy over what really happened. The woman claims she was essentially being blackmailed by a young man, and so she met with him in order to obtain an “innocuous” photograph. Allegedly, two men then got into the car and drove them to a place where five other men were waiting, and the seven men apparently raped the two of them.

The courts sentenced the woman, known as the “Girl of Qatif,” to 90 lashes for violating the Islamic law. Her lawyer on appeal made a few public comments about the sentencing, and soon found himself removed from the case and his licensed suspended.

On appeal, the court doubled the amount of lashes she was to receive and sentenced her to 6 months in prison. The ministry claims that further evidence was discovered against the woman, resulting in the increased sentence.

It should be noted that on appeal the rapists sentences were also increased from a range of 10 months to 5 years in jail to between 2 and 9 years in prison.

This case is currently waiting to be heard by Saudi Arabia’s highest court.

The latest actions by the judiciary in Saudi Arabia have been questioned by the international community, and several countries have come right out and denounced the ruling of the court.

A few commentators have suggested that this particular case could provide momentum for King Abdullah who in October called for reform among the courts, including establishing a Supreme Court. The courts are Islamic and are run by clerics who follow “the kingdom’s strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam – but with no legal written code.”

There are some human rights activists who have questioned the justice that is provided by the Saudi courts and claim that the treatment of those involved in this case is “a mockery of the court’s claim to fairness.” Human Rights Watch has recently called on King Abdullah to void the verdict and drop all charges against her.

These recent developments call into question the treatment and prosecution of women under the strict interpretation of Islamic law, and the overall fairness and justice the courts in Saudi Arabia are administering.

Sources:

New York Times – Saudi Rape Case Spurs Calls for Reform – 1 December 2007.

CNN – Saudi Government: Rape Victim had Illegal Affair – 24 November 2007.

Yahoo News – Saudi Rape Ruling Puts Government on Defensive – 1 December 2007.

Human Rights Watch – Saudi Arabia: Ministry of Justice should Stop Targeting Rape Victim – 29 November 2007.