Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RIYADH80
2009-01-13 14:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Riyadh
how-toVZCZCXRO5724 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHRH #0080 0131437 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 131437Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9810 INFO RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 9974
C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 000080
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT PASS TO NEA/ARP (HARRIS, BLONG),DRL/IRF (GOMBIS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SA
SUBJECT: THE DILEMMA OF HADI AL-MUTIF
REF: A. 08 RIYADH 1748
B. 06 RIYADH 8808
Classified By: DMC David Rundell for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
(C) Key Points
-- Hadi al-Mutif, an Ismaili Shi'a convicted in 1996 of
blasphemy, remains in prison. His original sentence of
execution was stayed by the late King Fahd. King Abdullah
has left the stay in place.
-- Sources indicate al-Mutif is held in a Ministry of
Interior facility in Abha, southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Authorities allegedly moved him there for his own protection
following past suicide attempts.
-- In December 2008, Political Counselor raised al-Mutif's
case with Saudi Human Rights Commission (HRC) President Turki
al-Sudairy, who said there is no legal remedy for al-Mutif
short of a royal pardon.
(C) Comment
The King pardoned several other Ismaili prisoners in 2006 -
but not al-Mutif. We do not know why al-Mutif was not
included in the pardons, which appeared designed to placate
the Ismaili Shi'a community in Najran. One theory is that
Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz opposes the
pardon (Reftel B). A second theory is that Sheikh Saleh
al-Luhaidan, a powerful religious figure and head of the
Supreme Judicial Council, Saudi's highest court, opposes the
pardon, and that the King does not want to challenge the
religious hierarchy on this particular issue. If either
theory is true, then raising the issue with the King would be
unlikely to achieve results on al-Mutif,s behalf.
End key points and comment.
----------
BACKGROUND
----------
C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 000080
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT PASS TO NEA/ARP (HARRIS, BLONG),DRL/IRF (GOMBIS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SA
SUBJECT: THE DILEMMA OF HADI AL-MUTIF
REF: A. 08 RIYADH 1748
B. 06 RIYADH 8808
Classified By: DMC David Rundell for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
(C) Key Points
-- Hadi al-Mutif, an Ismaili Shi'a convicted in 1996 of
blasphemy, remains in prison. His original sentence of
execution was stayed by the late King Fahd. King Abdullah
has left the stay in place.
-- Sources indicate al-Mutif is held in a Ministry of
Interior facility in Abha, southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Authorities allegedly moved him there for his own protection
following past suicide attempts.
-- In December 2008, Political Counselor raised al-Mutif's
case with Saudi Human Rights Commission (HRC) President Turki
al-Sudairy, who said there is no legal remedy for al-Mutif
short of a royal pardon.
(C) Comment
The King pardoned several other Ismaili prisoners in 2006 -
but not al-Mutif. We do not know why al-Mutif was not
included in the pardons, which appeared designed to placate
the Ismaili Shi'a community in Najran. One theory is that
Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz opposes the
pardon (Reftel B). A second theory is that Sheikh Saleh
al-Luhaidan, a powerful religious figure and head of the
Supreme Judicial Council, Saudi's highest court, opposes the
pardon, and that the King does not want to challenge the
religious hierarchy on this particular issue. If either
theory is true, then raising the issue with the King would be
unlikely to achieve results on al-Mutif,s behalf.
End key points and comment.
--------------
BACKGROUND
--------------
1. (C) Hadi al-Mutif's blasphemy conviction was reportedly
based on an accusation he told a joke that insulted the
Prophet Mohammed. Blasphemy is a capital offense under Saudi
Islamic law (Shari'ah).
2. (C) Sources inform Post that al-Mutif has been held in a
type of "limited" solitary confinement, not for punishment
but more for his safety. His brother is rumored to have
visited him in November. The head of the Saudi Human Rights
Commission, Turki al-Sudairy, has reportedly raised
al-Mutif's case with the King and with the head of Saudi
Arabia,s Supreme Judicial Council, Sheikh Saleh al-Luhaidan.
But, in his December meeting with PolCouns, al-Sudairy
appeared resigned to the fact that there were limited options
for al-Mutif. He described al-Mutif's case as "a legal
problem" with no straightforward solution. Al-Sudairy
offered no strategy, but noted that another individual who
had committed "the same offense" had been pardoned and
released, but not al-Mutif.
RUNDELL
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT PASS TO NEA/ARP (HARRIS, BLONG),DRL/IRF (GOMBIS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SA
SUBJECT: THE DILEMMA OF HADI AL-MUTIF
REF: A. 08 RIYADH 1748
B. 06 RIYADH 8808
Classified By: DMC David Rundell for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
(C) Key Points
-- Hadi al-Mutif, an Ismaili Shi'a convicted in 1996 of
blasphemy, remains in prison. His original sentence of
execution was stayed by the late King Fahd. King Abdullah
has left the stay in place.
-- Sources indicate al-Mutif is held in a Ministry of
Interior facility in Abha, southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Authorities allegedly moved him there for his own protection
following past suicide attempts.
-- In December 2008, Political Counselor raised al-Mutif's
case with Saudi Human Rights Commission (HRC) President Turki
al-Sudairy, who said there is no legal remedy for al-Mutif
short of a royal pardon.
(C) Comment
The King pardoned several other Ismaili prisoners in 2006 -
but not al-Mutif. We do not know why al-Mutif was not
included in the pardons, which appeared designed to placate
the Ismaili Shi'a community in Najran. One theory is that
Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz opposes the
pardon (Reftel B). A second theory is that Sheikh Saleh
al-Luhaidan, a powerful religious figure and head of the
Supreme Judicial Council, Saudi's highest court, opposes the
pardon, and that the King does not want to challenge the
religious hierarchy on this particular issue. If either
theory is true, then raising the issue with the King would be
unlikely to achieve results on al-Mutif,s behalf.
End key points and comment.
--------------
BACKGROUND
--------------
1. (C) Hadi al-Mutif's blasphemy conviction was reportedly
based on an accusation he told a joke that insulted the
Prophet Mohammed. Blasphemy is a capital offense under Saudi
Islamic law (Shari'ah).
2. (C) Sources inform Post that al-Mutif has been held in a
type of "limited" solitary confinement, not for punishment
but more for his safety. His brother is rumored to have
visited him in November. The head of the Saudi Human Rights
Commission, Turki al-Sudairy, has reportedly raised
al-Mutif's case with the King and with the head of Saudi
Arabia,s Supreme Judicial Council, Sheikh Saleh al-Luhaidan.
But, in his December meeting with PolCouns, al-Sudairy
appeared resigned to the fact that there were limited options
for al-Mutif. He described al-Mutif's case as "a legal
problem" with no straightforward solution. Al-Sudairy
offered no strategy, but noted that another individual who
had committed "the same offense" had been pardoned and
released, but not al-Mutif.
RUNDELL