Posted on 09/03/2006 7:19:32 AM PDT by Founding Father
CENTENNIAL - Sniffles and sobs resonated in a packed courtroom Thursday as a Saudi man convicted of sexually assaulting his Indonesian housekeeper was sentenced Thursday to 20 years to life in prison. Homaidan Al-Turki, 37, was also ordered to serve eight additional years for theft charges.
He denied in Arapahoe County District Court that he enslaved the woman and said authorities targeted him because of his religion.
"Your honor, I am not here to apologize, for I cannot apologize for things I did not do and for crimes I did not commit," he told Judge Mark Hannen.
"The state has criminalized these basic Muslim behaviors. Attacking traditional Muslim behaviors was the focal point of the prosecution," he said.
Prosecutor Natalie Decker said the trial had nothing to do with Al-Turki's Muslim beliefs.
"It has to do with what he did to her for five years," she said outside the courtroom.
Al-Turki was convicted this summer of 12 felony counts of unlawful sexual contact with use of force, one felony count of criminal extortion and one felony count of theft. He also was found guilty of two misdemeanors: false imprisonment and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment.
The case has captured the attention of the Muslim community worldwide. The Saudi government gave Al-Turki the money he needed to post a $400,000 bond on the charges in Arapahoe County.
Prosecutors said Al-Turki brought the victim, who is now 24, from Saudi Arabia in 2000 to work as his family's nanny and housekeeper in their Aurora home. Al-Turki is married and has five children.
The victim testified in court that she worked seven days a week and was paid $150 a month. She said Al-Turki and his wife kept most of that money. Al-Turki also allegedly took the woman's passport and sexually abused her.
The Rocky Mountain News is withholding the nanny's name because she is a sexual assault victim. She now lives in Aurora.
"This is a clear-cut example of human trafficking," Decker said. "It's important he is put in prison."
What are these "traditional muslim behaviors"?
Centennial, Colorado: A Saudi man convicted of sexually assaulting an Indonesian housekeeper and keeping her as a virtual slave was sentenced on Thursday to 28 years to life in prison.
Homaidan Al Turki, 37, denied the charges and blamed anti-Muslim prejudice for the case against him. He said prosecutors persuaded the housekeeper to accuse him after they failed to build a case that he was a terrorist.
Al Turki, a resident of the Denver suburb of Aurora, was convicted on June 30 of unlawful sexual contact by use of force, theft and extortion, all felonies, and misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment. Defence attorney John Richilano said he would appeal the convictions.
Cooking and cleaning
Prosecutors and FBI agents said Al Turki and his wife, Sarah Khonaizan, brought the now 24-year-old woman to Colorado to care for their five children and to cook and clean for the family.
An affidavit said she spent four years with the family, sleeping on a mattress on the basement floor and getting paid less than $2 (Dh7.34) a day. Al Turki said he treated the woman the same way any observant Muslim family would treat a daughter.
"Your honour, I am not here to apologise, for I cannot apologise for things I did not do and for crimes I did not commit," he told the judge. "The state has criminalised these basic Muslim behaviours. Attacking traditional Muslim behaviours was the focal point of the prosecution."
Al Turki, a linguist who worked at a Denver publishing and translating company, also faces trial in federal court in October on charges of forced labour.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/09/02/10064375.html
Just hang him.
Where are these so-called 'women's rights' advocates where these muzzies are concerned. Oh, I almost forgot, selective moral outrage, the ol' LIBERAL standby!
The hell of it is he believes what he said.
Still waiting for the Colorado NOW chapter to speak up.
Well, they could only get Capone on tax evasion. Maybe they should look into this guy's tax returns too. Was he claiming her as an expense or as a dependent?
I wonder if the Colorado chapter of CAIR has chimed in yet?
"Basic Muslim behaviors". I can't wait to hear what CAIR has to say about this.
There's a bunch of people named al-Turki in the Saudi government. Wonder what the relation is
I guess now he gets to honor kill her.
Amazingly, not a peep out of the Anti-American Communist Liars Union.
Having lived in Saudi for two years, stories of maids from Idonesia, The Philipines, Sri Lanka etc were rampant. Bring the women over to be maids, take their passports and effectively enslave them.
Money quote!
"The state has criminalized these basic Muslim behaviors. Attacking traditional Muslim behaviors was the focal point of the prosecution," he said. <<<
Muslim law on the move, again.
Thanks for posting this thread, as I have tried to keep an eye on the trial.
Looks like he lost his smirk. The orange effect.
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