Gulf | Saudi Arabia
Plea to free Saudi prisoners rejected
Kuwaiti authorities have rejected a request from Saudi Arabia to extradite scores of Saudis detained in the neighbouring country and allow them to spend the remaining period of their jail terms in Saudi prisons.
- By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
- Published: 23:55 October 23, 2008
Riyadh: Kuwaiti authorities have rejected a request from Saudi Arabia to extradite scores of Saudis detained in the neighbouring country and allow them to spend the remaining period of their jail terms in Saudi prisons.
Kuwait's refusal was attributed to the non-existence of any extradition treaty for exchange of prisoners with any other GCC states, including Saudi Arabia. This was disclosed by Dr Mufleh Al Qahtani, deputy chairman of the Saudi Society for Human Rights.
Al Qahtani said the society had recently received petitions from parents of several Saudis detained in Kuwaiti prisons. They made a request to the society to intervene in getting their sons repatriated so that they can spend the remaining period of their jail terms in the kingdom.
Contact
"Accordingly, the society contacted the Saudi embassy in Kuwait to take up the matter with the concerned authorities. However, this request was turned down as there is no treaty between the two countries with regard to exchange of prisoners," he told Al Hayat Arabic daily.
Al Qahtani said the society does not possess any exact figures of Saudis undergoing their punishment in various Kuwaiti jails. "My colleagues at the society are especially concerned about this issue and are keen to visit these prisoners to personally assess their situation," he said.
"The Saudi embassy in Kuwait also expressed its keenness in following up of their situation and is lending them a helping hand.
"However, the embassy has its own limitations in making any strong intervention in the absence of any extradition treaty," he said, pointing to the security agreement between the states of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) to exchange those prisoners, who spent one-fourth or half of their jail terms in the respective countries.
According to estimates, there are around 150,000 Saudi expatriates in Kuwait, who work mainly in the private sector.
There is a small percentage of Saudis working in the government sector also. There are about 100 Saudis undergoing various prison terms in Kuwait. "The Saudi embassy is closely following their matters. A representative from the embassy frequently visits the prisons to take stock of their situation," he said, adding that a lawyers' office has been assisting them.
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