Man Lashed and Imprisoned For His Wife's Crimes!!
Discussion
This is truly grotesque. This is Saudia Arabia. Our supposed ally and often-times inhuman monsters.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2821139.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2821139.stm
Who the hell can blame him?
Australian flogged for 'thief wife'
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has sharply criticised Saudi Arabia for jailing and flogging an Australian man for a crime allegedly committed by his wife.
Robert Thomas was sentenced last September to 16 months in prison and 300 lashes, and has since been caned 50 strokes at a time.
He was deemed responsible for the actions of his wife after she was convicted of stealing hospital equipment, an offence she denied.
Mr Howard said the sentence appeared "appallingly inhumane", and a formal complaint was being lodged with the Saudi Government.
'Inconceivable'
Mr Thomas, 55, has lived in Saudi Arabia for 10 years, and was running the sterilisation department of the Prince Abdullah Bin Adbulaziz Hospital in Riyadh when he was arrested last June.
Under Saudi Arabia's Sharia law, he was found guilty of association when his Filipino wife, Lorna, was convicted and jailed for 16 months.
Mr Thomas' family in Melbourne was told that under Saudi culture, it was "inconceivable" that a woman could commit a crime without her husband's knowledge, the AFP news agency reported.
"On the face of it, and I don't know all the circumstances, it seems appallingly inhumane," Mr Howard said.
"I know we have to accept that if we go to another country we are subject to the laws of that country but it does seem to me to be cruelly disproportionate punishment according to the values and the understandings of Australians."
Mr Howard said he would talk to his foreign minister to pursue the case.
"Australia regards caning as a cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment, and a violation of internationally accepted human rights standards," an Australian Government spokesman said.
Mr Thomas' daughter told reporters her father is being treated "like an animal" in prison.
"Dad believes that Lorna did commit the crime," she said. "He is upset, he feels betrayed and he won't be seeking to bring her home to Australia when he is released."
Carzee, where do you find em. Does Reuters or Sky have you on some special mailing list for "stories/issues beyond belief" and "numpty morons being eaten by animals". 
What was it I heard in the past about one mans terrorist being another mans freedom fighter!!! With the disproportionate spread of wealth and opportunity combined with fcuked up laws like this you can understand why fanatical terrorists organisations seem to find Saudi Arabia very easy recruiting grounds.
I shall shut up now before I say something that may be considered racist against the Saudi "Elite", I wouldn't want to upset any of them should they be PHers.
DAZ
What was it I heard in the past about one mans terrorist being another mans freedom fighter!!! With the disproportionate spread of wealth and opportunity combined with fcuked up laws like this you can understand why fanatical terrorists organisations seem to find Saudi Arabia very easy recruiting grounds.
I shall shut up now before I say something that may be considered racist against the Saudi "Elite", I wouldn't want to upset any of them should they be PHers.
DAZ
Carzee,
I suppose, frying someone in an electric chair for a crime they didnt commit is acceptable, is it???
I suppose beating a black man by the side of a road and then letting off the policemen responsible is acceptable too??
How about actively encouraging children to handle guns?? is that ok ??
What about refusing to allow pharmaceutical companies the ability to sell AIDS drugs cheaper in Africa where 30 million people have already died....that must be ok, yes???
This is the USA , our friend and companion..
and master..
(Oh and thier cars are shit too.)
I suppose, frying someone in an electric chair for a crime they didnt commit is acceptable, is it???
I suppose beating a black man by the side of a road and then letting off the policemen responsible is acceptable too??
How about actively encouraging children to handle guns?? is that ok ??
What about refusing to allow pharmaceutical companies the ability to sell AIDS drugs cheaper in Africa where 30 million people have already died....that must be ok, yes???
This is the USA , our friend and companion..
and master..
(Oh and thier cars are shit too.)
petepeter said:
This is the USA , our friend and companion..
and master..
(Oh and thier cars are shit too.)
Now wait a minute our Ford company produces a nice car called Jaguar.
Geez, next thing you will be making fun of the German cars like Rolls Royce and Mini.
Perhaps even saying derogotory things about that great Asian car company Lotus.
Calvin
petepeter said: Carzee,
I suppose, frying someone in an electric chair for a crime they didnt commit is acceptable, is it???
I suppose beating a black man by the side of a road and then letting off the policemen responsible is acceptable too??
How about actively encouraging children to handle guns?? is that ok ??
What about refusing to allow pharmaceutical companies the ability to sell AIDS drugs cheaper in Africa where 30 million people have already died....that must be ok, yes???
This is the USA , our friend and companion..
and master..
(Oh and thier cars are shit too.)
I'm slightly lost on this one?!
An Australian bloke's wife steals stuff from a saudi hospital, and she is jailed. Fair enough.
He is lashed and jailed for a crime not commited by him, and treated like an animal in a saudi jail! Which isn't fair enough.
But where the Hell does the USA come into this one?!
He's Australian, She's Filipino, and it happened in Saudi!
cnh1990 said:
petepeter said:
This is the USA , our friend and companion..
and master..
(Oh and thier cars are shit too.)
Now wait a minute our Ford company produces a nice car called Jaguar.
Geez, next thing you will be making fun of the German cars like Rolls Royce and Mini.
Perhaps even saying derogotory things about that great Asian car company Lotus.
Calvin
You're right, Calvin; Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, etc. needed to buy decent marques, because their own brands are just crap for the premium sector.
>>edited to add a /
>> Edited by Bodo on Thursday 6th March 00:50
This story has had a fair bit of coverage out here (I'm in Australia). As stated in the article, the guy has lived in Saudi for the last ten years, working in a hospital. His wife works there too as a nurse. The wife was arrested and charged with stealing large quantities of hospital supplies, and got sentanced to 16 months plus 300 whacks with a cane.
The presiding judge then said according to Saudi culture, it would be impossible for the wife to do any of this without the husband's knowledge - and as he didn't report it and denied knowing about it at the wife's trial, he was just as guilty as she was - and gave him the same sentence (note that he wasn't charged with any crime - he was in the courtroom at the time his wife was sentenced and the judge ordered him carted off).
He was interviewed a couple of days ago, and said conditions in the jail were actually OK - apart from overcrowding (there are seven other inmates in his cell). The food is OK and he gets visitors/exercise etc. And he said the caning has yet to draw any blood, so I can't imagine it is all that harsh. He's had 250 whacks so far (administered in batches of 50 or so), and he's got 50 left to go.
I guess Saudi law allows for this kind of thing. I'm not saying that it's right, but I can understand the judge's position - apparently large stocks of drugs/bandages etc were found in their house - but I don't agree that you should be treated that harshly just for failing to report the crime - especially if the person to be reported is your wife.
The presiding judge then said according to Saudi culture, it would be impossible for the wife to do any of this without the husband's knowledge - and as he didn't report it and denied knowing about it at the wife's trial, he was just as guilty as she was - and gave him the same sentence (note that he wasn't charged with any crime - he was in the courtroom at the time his wife was sentenced and the judge ordered him carted off).
He was interviewed a couple of days ago, and said conditions in the jail were actually OK - apart from overcrowding (there are seven other inmates in his cell). The food is OK and he gets visitors/exercise etc. And he said the caning has yet to draw any blood, so I can't imagine it is all that harsh. He's had 250 whacks so far (administered in batches of 50 or so), and he's got 50 left to go.
I guess Saudi law allows for this kind of thing. I'm not saying that it's right, but I can understand the judge's position - apparently large stocks of drugs/bandages etc were found in their house - but I don't agree that you should be treated that harshly just for failing to report the crime - especially if the person to be reported is your wife.
I agree it is very unfair, but you know the risks/culture difference (or should, unless you are *really* stupid) of living in Saudi (I made sure I did).
Alot of 'Laws' seem very unreasonable to us 'westerners'.
Just one example for you, if you have an car accident, there is a very high chance you will get locked up, regardless of if you were at fault or not.
(this happened to a work colleague of mine).
Sparks
Alot of 'Laws' seem very unreasonable to us 'westerners'.
Just one example for you, if you have an car accident, there is a very high chance you will get locked up, regardless of if you were at fault or not.
(this happened to a work colleague of mine).
Sparks
Me being a cynical old git am thinking, is this so different from being an accessory to the crime. He runs the sterilisation department, items go missing, stolen by his wife? Did he really not know? I do agree he should have had a trial though. We obviously do not know the full facts here so speculation is useless.
Bodo said
You're right, Calvin; Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, etc. needed to buy decent marques, because their own brands are just crap for the premium sector.
>>edited to add a /
>> Edited by Bodo on Thursday 6th March 00:50
Bodo,
You are quite right, except for a few independent specialty cars that have come and gone the USA does not produce an decent car which we on PH would like.
Oh we can produce trucks, SUV's, even a decent sedan, but we suck at sports cars. Even the Corvette if not for the help of Lotus would be worse off.
I have owned many of your UK sports cars and enjoy them very much.
Those other car companpies are however very good at production, marketing, and sales. As in many things, it is not always quality that makes a product come up on top. It is profitability. It is truly unfortunate when the icons of the UK auto industry are sold off to foregin interests.
On a serious not. As an American I am aware of all the assistance the UK has given us. I will continue to voice opinions in support of the UK and her subjects whenever possible.
We do note consider ourselves the masters the UK, only one of her very strong allies. We will not be back stabbers like some countries.
Calvin
>> Edited by cnh1990 on Thursday 6th March 15:35
apache said
now I wonder who that was aimed at?
thought the Vette was a fine car btw (what is the 'cooking' version called?
Those back stabbers of the Axis of Weasels.
There is talk of if we ever make it to SH's palace, we will find evidence of all the back door sales these French and German companies have been conducting all these years in violation of the embargo. If so the talk is of banning these companies of doing business in the USA.
Since 98 when the inspectors were ejected, the French were opposed to sending them back in since 99. Now they are all for allowing the inspectors all the time in the world.
The ZO6 is one of the better examples of the Corvette, It is a nice fast well handling car but I just can't put my finger on it. A ZO6 gave my Esprit a very hard time and is one of few that might be quicker if it had the right driver. It still lacks something. My English sports car has a personality of it's own. The Vettes are just about all the same, for a better word very antiseptic.
A long time Lotus owners who had his Europa for 30 some odd years sold his car a few years ago. I asked him what he got to replace it. He replied that in his old age he needed something sporty with A/C, heat that worked, that did not leak in rain, and held up a little better in between repairs. He said he kept waiting for years for an affordable reliable Lotus to come about but it never did.
Oops...sorry for straying off topic
Calvin
cnh1990 said:
Those back stabbers of the Axis of Weasels.
There is talk of if we ever make it to SH's palace, we will find evidence of all the back door sales these French and German companies have been conducting all these years in violation of the embargo. If so the talk is of banning these companies of doing business in the USA.
Since 98 when the inspectors were ejected, the French were opposed to sending them back in since 99. Now they are all for allowing the inspectors all the time in the world.
Indeed, we need to fight the people who blindly follow their leader, who makes use of their fundamentalism and patriotism. Without masses supporting the evil leader, these leaders won't have the power to abuse the human rights.
Patriotism, fundamentalism and not-questioning-the-authority or the masses' opinion has led to many stupid wars, as we (hopefully) all learned from the past.
Narrow minded people who influence others are the source for all conflicts on this planet.
Bodo
cnh1990 said:
apache said
now I wonder who that was aimed at?
thought the Vette was a fine car btw (what is the 'cooking' version called?
Those back stabbers of the Axis of Weasels.
There is talk of if we ever make it to SH's palace, we will find evidence of all the back door sales these French and German companies have been conducting all these years in violation of the embargo. If so the talk is of banning these companies of doing business in the USA.
Since 98 when the inspectors were ejected, the French were opposed to sending them back in since 99. Now they are all for allowing the inspectors all the time in the world.
The ZO6 is one of the better examples of the Corvette, It is a nice fast well handling car but I just can't put my finger on it. A ZO6 gave my Esprit a very hard time and is one of few that might be quicker if it had the right driver. It still lacks something. My English sports car has a personality of it's own. The Vettes are just about all the same, for a better word very antiseptic.
A long time Lotus owners who had his Europa for 30 some odd years sold his car a few years ago. I asked him what he got to replace it. He replied that in his old age he needed something sporty with A/C, heat that worked, that did not leak in rain, and held up a little better in between repairs. He said he kept waiting for years for an affordable reliable Lotus to come about but it never did.
Oops...sorry for straying off topic
Calvin
There is a report in today's guardian that the UK helped SH build factories in 1985 knowing they would be used to produce chemical weapons used to attack Iran at the time.
When it comes to money, having two faces is quite handy.
Max.
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