Bizarre, Criminal law, International

Saudi Man Held In Jail 12 Years After Completion Of Sentence — Awaiting Forgiveness From Father Under Sharia Law

We have another example of perverse “justice” under Sharia law. Eid al-Sinani, 43, has remained in jail for 15 years because under Sharia law in Saudi Arabia the father was given the final say on when he should be released. He was originally sentenced in 1997 to three years in prison and 200 lashes for beating up his step mother. When the sentence was completed, the father demanded the right to keep his son in jail “until he is proven to be righteous by his father.”

The father never found his righteous and Sinani is still in jail. The sentence has been described by Saudi experts as “legally problematic.” Of course, most of the world would say it is not legal at all. Moreover, holding a man for 12 years after serving his sentence is a bit more than “problematic.”

Ancient legal traditions in Greece and other countries involved giving the right to a victim to keep a culprit in jail until he give sufficient restitution or satisfaction to the family. It essentially gave the keys of the cell to the victims who could demand any amount in blood money from the culprit who could chose between paying the amount or staying in jail.

Of course, most of the world have moved beyond such primitive systems of justice.

Source: Yahoo

12 thoughts on “Saudi Man Held In Jail 12 Years After Completion Of Sentence — Awaiting Forgiveness From Father Under Sharia Law”

  2. “what is America’s excuse after having pioneered a revolution in justice to be reverting back to something beyond appalling?”

    A political culture that institutionalized graft thus allowing for the emergence of a corporatist oligarchy only one step removed from fascism and the appointment of a corporatist darling as President by a Supreme Court that stepped way over their boundaries in deciding a political issue that properly rested with the people.

    Just a suggestion.

  3. While we are talking about gutter justice, let us not forgot our move into the world of indefinite detention and its Gitmo variant — even if found not guilty under the military commissions, we retain the right to hold you forever and a day. At least Saudi Arabia has going for it the argument that it never emerged from the dark ages, what is America’s excuse after having pioneered a revolution in justice to be reverting back to something beyond appalling?

  4. Asking victims to testify at parole hearings is not the same at all! A parole hearing is held to determine if a sentance mat be shortened. Once the sentence is over, generally, the prisoner is released.

  5. I agree with Carver. When we kill bepole in gas chambers here and call it an executon dont we say some In God We Trust sort of Christian prayer over them before and after we kill em and then ask God’s foregiveness for violating the 6th Commandment?

  6. Not to justify in any way how the “justice” system operates in Saudi Arabia, but I do take issue with the good Professor glibly stating this is “justice under Sharia law.” Sharia law has many faces — and is often used as a justification for religious or ethnic intolerance and aggression. But to use the blanket term “Sharia law” as if it were an accurately descriptive term gives strength to those forces of intolerance who have come to predominate in Islam and claim — untruthfully — to represent Sharia law. It would be just as inaccurate to represent the justice system in this country as “Christian law”. See this excellent interview on NPR’s Fresh Air for a discussion of what the concept of Sharia law encompasses http://www.npr.org/2012/04/16/150560969/interpreting-shariah-law-across-the-centuries And let’s stop empowering religious fanatics and call these laws for what they are — in this case, Saudi law.

  7. Anonymously Yours 1, April 25, 2012 at 8:51 am

    Dredd,

    Don’t we already do that with certain crimes…..here in the US?
    ==========================================
    It would seem so.

  8. Sharia law. Is that what is applied out in California when they bring up Manson for parole consideration and go ask the victims what they think?

  9. Revenge is a small component of justice, but the justice system – as a social mechanism – should decide the socially acceptable component of revenge in justice just like it decides the socially acceptable equity in justice. To leave something like that in the hands of the victim(s) is only one step away from allowing self-help.

  10. Dredd,

    Don’t we already do that with certain crimes…..here in the US?

Comments are closed.