http://www.a1saudiarabia.com/Saudi-student-gets-sentence-reduced-in-maid-abuse-case/
Feb 26
Saudi student gets sentence reduced in maid abuse case
RIYADH: Humaidan Al-Turki, a Saudi research student who was convicted in 2006 in the United States for abusing his maid, won his appeal to get his sentence reduced.
He received a revised sentence of eight years, instead of the 28-year punishment he was handed by a Colorado court, on Friday.
Al-Turki, 36, was convicted of sexually assaulting his Indonesian housekeeper and keeping her as a virtual slave for four years.
Al-Turkis lawyers on Friday succeeded in convincing the court hearing the appeal. The lawyers lodged an appeal to revise the 28-year sentence that he was handed, saying it contained a legal error.
The lawyers, according to family spokesperson Fahd Al-Nassar, had submitted documents and supporting letters requesting the case to be dropped or the sentence to be reduced.
The district attorney had admitted that the judge presiding over the case was only allowed to issue a sentence between four and 12 years. The general attorney also suggested changing the 20-year sentence to life, which was also rejected by Al-Turkis lawyers.
Al-Turkis lawyers have submitted documents and supporting letters requesting the case to be dropped or the sentence to be reduced. Among the letters is one from the director of the Colorado jail where Al-Turki is in prison, describing his good behavior and requesting a reduction in the sentence.
The director also said that medical costs to treat Al-Turki are high, and that he should therefore be sent home to receive better medical care.
Al-Nassar said the Saudi Embassy in Washington D.C. has filed a request for his release and that no response has been received so far. He added that the embassy has hired the services of four law offices to handle the request.
Meanwhile, Al-Turkis wife and five children were thrilled on receiving the news of the reduction in the sentence. Al-Turkis son said that his father had completed four-and-half-years of the sentence and is hopeful of seeing his father soon.
Members of the Saudi society received the news of Al-Turkis revised term with relief.
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http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/183588/346/Saudi-linguist-gets-sentence-partially-reduced?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|t
Saudi linguist gets sentence partially reduced
8:30 PM, Feb 25, 201
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) - A Saudi linguist convicted of sexually assaulting a housekeeper and keeping her a virtual slave for four years won a partial reduction of his prison sentence from a Colorado judge Friday.
Homaidan al-Turki was sentenced to between eight years and life in prison. District Judge J. Mark Hannen in Centennial cited al-Turki's good behavior in prison in reducing the original sentence of 28 years to life.
Al-Turki insists he is innocent and a victim of anti-Muslim sentiment. His case has angered Saudi authorities -- several of whom attended Friday's hearing -- and prompted the U.S. State Department to send Colorado Attorney General John Suthers to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan and al-Turki's family after al-Turki's 2006 conviction.
More than 100 supporters of al-Turki crowded the courthouse Friday.
Prosecutors opposed any sentence reduction. Appellate courts have upheld al-Turki's conviction, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case last year.
Al-Turki brought his wife, five children and an Indonesian housekeeper to Colorado in 1995, and he studied at the University of Colorado. He was a well-known member of Denver's Muslim community, contributing financially to the Colorado Muslim Society and an Islamic elementary school in Aurora, said Sheikh Abu-Omar Almubarac, a society co-founder.
According to court documents, al-Turki first came under investigation when authorities examined whether his operation of a business violated terms of his student visa. Al-Turki owned Al-Basheer Publications & Translations, which distributed Islamic works in English.
After interviewing the housekeeper, prosecutors brought the assault and slavery charges against al-Turki.
At trial, al-Turki testified that FBI agents persuaded the housekeeper to accuse him of imprisoning and sexually assaulting her after they failed to build a case that he was a terrorist. The woman initially denied any sexual abuse and made the allegations after being detained by immigration officials.
Al-Turki's attorneys claim that federal officials had been investigating him for alleged terrorist ties since 1995. No terrorism charges were filed.
A state jury convicted him of unlawful sexual contact by use of force, theft and extortion -- all felonies -- as well as misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment. Similar federal charges were dropped.
Al-Turki's company holds the copyright to "The Lives of the Prophets," a CD set of sermons recorded by the U.S.-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
Thought to be hiding in Yemen, al-Awlaki is believed to have inspired and even plotted recent attempted attacks on the U.S., including the failed December 2009 bombing of a Detroit-bound airliner and the unsuccessful plot to send mail bombs on planes from Yemen to the U.S. Al-Awlaki also is believed to have inspired the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, and had ties to some of the 9/11 hijackers.
Federal law enforcement authorities in Denver have declined to say whether it was al-Turki's relationship with al-Awlaki that brought al-Turki under scrutiny.
Al-Turki has filed a federal lawsuit claiming guards at the Limon Correctional Facility denied him medical attention as he passed a kidney stone. That suit is pending.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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