Suthers states case to Saudis

AG believes long trip to explain abuse trial had beneficial effect

John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 21, 2006 at midnight

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The door to the palace swung open and Colorado Attorney General John Suthers found himself being escorted through a room that seemed about 50 yards long.

That room led to a second door and another room about 75 yards long.

At the far end, Suthers could see King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia stand up and begin walking toward him.

They met halfway. Photographers with the Saudi news media recorded the event.

Suthers had flown 19 hours from Denver to Riyadh to meet with the king, the Crown Prince and other Saudi officials at the request of the U.S. ambassador to explain how the U.S. justice system handled the case of Homaidan Al-Turki.

In June, an Arapahoe County jury convicted Al-Turki, son of a prominent Saudi family, on charges of sexually abusing an Indonesian nanny and holding her a virtual captive in his Aurora home. He has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, pending an appeal.

The case has become a major story in Saudi Arabia where the media, siding with Al-Turki, have portrayed him as the victim of a judicial system biased against Muslims.

For two days last week, Suthers tried to explain to Saudi leaders and Al-Turki's family how the system treated him fairly throughout his arrest, conviction and appeal.

Suthers feels that the trip did some good, but he encountered several cultural differences that were as vast as some of the palace rooms.

Two examples became apparent right away.

"Under (Saudi) law, to prove a rape case, you need four eyewitnesses," Suthers said during an interview at his office Monday. "And they considered it inconceivable that an Indonesian maid was considered a competent witness in our courts."

Another significant difference is how civil and criminal courts mesh under Saudi law, making it possible for a victim or a victim's family to come to a financial settlement when it involves a criminal matter.

"They didn't understand how that wasn't possible here," Suthers said.

Suthers said Saudi officials and Al-Turki's family treated him with respect throughout his trip. He said the king started their conversation by asking if Colorado was a place where there are large forest fires.

The king asked if the fires help restore the soil in the forests and compared their effect to the sandstorms in his country.

For all of the coverage the case has received, Suthers said Saudi officials seemed surprised at two aspects that had not been reported there. They did not know that two other women had testified at the trial as having experienced similar treatment. They also did not realize that Al-Turki did not testify during the trial.

While that choice is a defendant's right in an American court, it carries a different impact in Saudi Arabia, Suthers said.

"In the Saudi system, the failure to testify is very significant. When somebody makes an accusation, you're expected to respond," he said.

The trip came about after the U.S. State Department contacted Gov. Bill Owens. Suthers said he was initially reluctant to make the journey, coming as it did after a busy election season.

No taxpayer dollars were spent on the trip. Suthers said his initial understanding was that the State Department was paying for the trip, but found out en route that the king was picking up the tab.

A spokeswoman said the total cost of the trip, which included a stay in a lavish palace hotel owned by the royal family, is not known.

While Suthers is not sure he changed anyone's mind or bridged any cultural differences, he believes his willingness to travel so far to explain the case had an effect on Saudi leaders.

"I felt like it was both worthwhile and something that was the adventure of a lifetime," he said.

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