Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RIYADH2323
2007-11-20 16:48:00
SECRET
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:
SAUDI ARABIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE US COMMENTS ON THE
how-toVZCZCXRO1367 OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR DE RUEHRH #2323 3241648 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 201648Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7044 INFO RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 9227
S E C R E T RIYADH 002323
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE US COMMENTS ON THE
QATEEF RAPE CASE
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES MICHAEL GFOELLER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) A
ND (D)
S E C R E T RIYADH 002323
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE US COMMENTS ON THE
QATEEF RAPE CASE
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES MICHAEL GFOELLER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) A
ND (D)
1. (S) On November 20, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the
US Adel al-Jubeir invited the Charge d'Affaires and Staff
Assistant (note taker) to a lunch at his Riyadh residence.
During the lunch, the Ambassador told the Charge that Saudi
Arabian King Abdullah was following the case of a young Shi'a
woman who was raped by seven men in 2006 in the Eastern
Province town of Qateef "very closely." He assured the
Charge' that the King would intervene in the case if
necessary. "The woman involved in this case will not be
punished," he said.
2. (S) However, the Saudi ambassador added that the King
prefers to attempt to resolve this case through the Saudi
judicial system. He said that the King hopes that the system
will ultimately return a just verdict, which will punish the
perpetrators, not the victim. If this happens, then a
precedent will have been created that can govern future such
cases. That said, the King will intervene if the court
system fails to reach what he considers a just decision,
al-Jubeir said.
3. (S) Al-Jubeir termed the judge's current verdict in this
case, which calls for the female rape victim to receive 200
lashes, very hard to comprehend. He noted that the judge in
question is a Sunni Muslim, while the rape victim is a
Shi'ite Muslim. The judge's religious prejudices probably
explain the decision, at least in part, he said. "It is as
difficult for an Eastern Province Shi'ite to receive justice
from such a judge as it would have been for an African
American to receive just treatment in the south in the
1950s," he commented. He also noted that the two-year
sentences given the perpetrators seem very light, since
Islamic law normally imposes the death penalty for rape.
GFOELLER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE US COMMENTS ON THE
QATEEF RAPE CASE
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES MICHAEL GFOELLER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) A
ND (D)
1. (S) On November 20, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the
US Adel al-Jubeir invited the Charge d'Affaires and Staff
Assistant (note taker) to a lunch at his Riyadh residence.
During the lunch, the Ambassador told the Charge that Saudi
Arabian King Abdullah was following the case of a young Shi'a
woman who was raped by seven men in 2006 in the Eastern
Province town of Qateef "very closely." He assured the
Charge' that the King would intervene in the case if
necessary. "The woman involved in this case will not be
punished," he said.
2. (S) However, the Saudi ambassador added that the King
prefers to attempt to resolve this case through the Saudi
judicial system. He said that the King hopes that the system
will ultimately return a just verdict, which will punish the
perpetrators, not the victim. If this happens, then a
precedent will have been created that can govern future such
cases. That said, the King will intervene if the court
system fails to reach what he considers a just decision,
al-Jubeir said.
3. (S) Al-Jubeir termed the judge's current verdict in this
case, which calls for the female rape victim to receive 200
lashes, very hard to comprehend. He noted that the judge in
question is a Sunni Muslim, while the rape victim is a
Shi'ite Muslim. The judge's religious prejudices probably
explain the decision, at least in part, he said. "It is as
difficult for an Eastern Province Shi'ite to receive justice
from such a judge as it would have been for an African
American to receive just treatment in the south in the
1950s," he commented. He also noted that the two-year
sentences given the perpetrators seem very light, since
Islamic law normally imposes the death penalty for rape.
GFOELLER