NO LASHES FOR QATEEF RAPE VICTIM; CASE DROPPED

S E C R E T RIYADH 001481 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT PLEASE PASS TO NIK RAMCHAND AT NSC AND NEA/ARP FOR RJACHIM/SRAMESH E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2027 TAGS: PHUM PGOV KWMN SOCI KIRF SA SUBJECT: NO LASHES FOR QATEEF RAPE VICTIM; CASE DROPPED REF: RIYAHD 00483 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Gfoeller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) Post reported in reftel the case of Qateef resident Aqilah bint Eisa al-Dhamin, who, along with her ex-boyfriend, was raped by seven men in January 2006. Following the investigation and trial, the perpetrators were sentenced to between eight months and five years in prison and between 80-1,000 lashes. The same court also sentenced al-Dhamin and her ex-boyfriend to 90 lashes for being unmarried and alone in a car at the time of the incident. ¶2. (S) Local and international press and human rights organization expressed outrage at al-Dhamin's sentence, and al-Dhamin publicly appealed to King Abdullah that she be spared the lashes. Additionally, al-Dhamin's lawyer, human rights activist Abdel Rahman al-Laham requested the Minister of Justice's intervention in the case. ¶3. (C) Hussein al-Awami, a journalist with Al-Hayat newspaper, told PolOff on July 9 that EP Governor Prince Mohammed bin Fahd dropped the charges against al-Dhamin. According to al-Awami, who has been following this case closely and is from the same village as al-Dhamin, the case is now closed and she will not be lashed. FRAKER