Nov 20, 2006 10:06 pm US/Mountain
John Suthers Returns From Saudi Arabia
by Kathy Walsh
DENVER (CBS4) ―
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Attorney General John Suthers
CBS4
Attorney General
John Suthers returned from Saudi Arabia this weekend following a 3-day trip to discuss the trial of a man convicted by a Colorado court.
Suthers said he was questioned aggressively by King Abdullah for 3 days about whether
Homaidan Al-Turki was treated fairly when he was convicted in Arapahoe County of sexually assaulting an Indonesian maid and keeping her as a virtual slave in his Aurora home.
Suthers said Al-Turki comes from an influential religious family in
Saudi Arabia and was portrayed in the media there as a victim.
"One of the brothers of the defendant that I had met sat through the trial and they simply cannot understand that a jury can give credibility to an Indonesian maid," Suthers said. "And the only possible explanation that is some sort of anti-Muslim bias."
Suthers said he feels he did a good job explaining the evidence in the case and the U.S. judicial system, although it didn't make the Saudis happy. He said it showed respect to have someone from the U.S. address the questions.
And while he doesn't think he changed a lot of minds, Suthers believes he sent a message that the U.S. is not the least bit apologetic about our justice system and how it works.
While the trip was grueling, Suthers said he stayed in the Royal Palace Hotel in a six-room suite. The trip was paid for partly by the U.S. State Department and partly by King Abdullah.
Suthers didn't have a final tally but said no Colorado taxpayer money was spent.
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