Human Trafficking in Saudi Arabia - Events in The United States

Events in The United States

Saudi Arabians who travel or reside abroad may be accompanied by servants who are held in servitude. It was reported in June 2005 in The Denver Post that a Saudi couple who resided in Aurora, Colorado had been accused of keeping their Indonesian maid in captivity for 4 years forcing her to cook and clean. Homaidan Al-Turki, the husband, was also accused of repeatedly raping the young woman. According to law enforcement authorities: the maid's passport had been taken from her; she was paid about $2.00 a day; rapes occurred on a weekly basis. The maid entered the couples service at 17 through an Indonesian employment agency as a domestic worker. She flew to Riyadh and entered their service at a promised pay of $160 a month, but according to prosecutors had received only $3,300 for four years of work. The couple moved to the United States in 2000 accompanied by their maid. The couple was originally charged in federal court with involuntary servitude, punishable in cases involving sexual assault with life in prison. The husband was also charged in state court with multiple counts of sexual assault. The husband was convicted of 12 counts of forced sexual assault, two misdemeanors related to forced imprisonment, and theft for keeping the maid's wages and sentenced to 27 years to life. The case was a high profile one in Saudi Arabia, where the press portrayed him as a victim of Islamophobia. The Saudi government posted bail of $400,000. In November 2006, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers travelled to Saudi Arabia where he met with King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan to clear up "misperceptions" about the U.S. judicial system. His trip was sponsored by the US State Department. Al-Turki's wife, Sarah Khonaizan, who plead guilty to reduced state and federal charges, is to be deported from the US. Following the state conviction, federal charges against Al-Turki were dropped.

Another case involved Princess Buniah Al Saud, niece of Fahd of Saudi Arabia, who was arrested in Orlando, Florida and accused of pushing her Indonesian maid down a flight of stairs. The criminal case was resolved by a plea bargain to misdemeanor assault and payment of a small fine after the maid was refused a visa after traveling to Indonesia to her mother's funeral. The US Department of State has refused to explain their refusal to allow a material witness in a criminal case entry to the United States to testify. A civil suit for wages was settled.

A third allegation involved Hana Al Jader of Boston, Massachusetts who was accused of stealing the passports of 2 Indonesian women and forcing them to work as domestic servants.