Nov 17, 2006 2:50 pm US/Mountain
Suthers In Saudi Arabia To Discuss Slavery Case
By Dan Elliott, AP Writer
DENVER (AP) ―
Colorado Attorney General
John Suthers traveled to
Saudi Arabia this week to reassure government officials that a Saudi man was treated fairly when he was convicted here of sexually abusing an Indonesian housekeeper and imprisoning her in his home for four years, The Associated Press has learned.
Suthers made the trip at the request of the State Department and met with Saudi King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan and relatives of
Homaidan Al-Turki, who was convicted in state court in June and sentenced to 28 years to life in prison, Deputy Attorney General Jason Dunn said Friday.
"My understanding is their concerns are whether or not he was treated fairly in the judicial system," Dunn said.
Dunn said Suthers explained that the state judicial system is independent from the federal government and that federal officials have no influence over it.
"The U.S. ambassador over there and the State Department felt that there was enough of a concern to send over a representative of Colorado to explain for them our judicial system," Dunn said.
Al-Turki was convicted of unlawful sexual contact by use of force, theft, extortion, false imprisonment and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment. His attorneys plan to appeal.
He had been charged with federal labor and immigration violations, but the U.S. attorney dropped those counts in September, saying prosecution wasn't necessary after the state case.
Dunn said the federal government paid for most, if not all, of Suthers' trip. Suthers left Sunday and was expected back Saturday.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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