The Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP) in Makkah region released Thursday a Saudi academic who was detained earlier in the morning by Al-Aziziyah District Police in Makkah for allegedly disobeying her parents. The academic is 47 years old and is a social researcher with a PhD. She was released after it emerged she had earlier registered a complaint of physical abuse against her brothers. The brothers and other members of the family then responded by laying a charge of parental disobedience against her. Sources from the Human Rights Commission's (HRC) office in Makkah told Al-Hayat newspaper that the HRC called the BIP and the latter dismissed the case against her. The sources emphasized that the Kingdom's “laws stipulate that no counter claim should be accepted if the woman had complained about violence”. The HRC's Makkah office responded quickly to the academic's case and was ordered by Dr. Bandar Al-Aiban, the HRC Chairman, to send a team from Makkah to follow up on the academic's case. The sources said that the BIP director, Abdullah Al-Qarni, cooperated with the HRC's supervisor, Ibrahim Al-Nihyani, and ordered that the academic be released. Her uncle came to pick her up. Waleed Abu Al-Khair, a human rights activist and lawyer, alleged that the woman was physically abused by members of her family. “The academic was beaten and kicked out by her family late at night. She went to Al-Aziziya District Police to file a complaint against her family but was detained after her brother and mother came to the police and filed a complaint that she had disobeyed her parents. Four months ago she was beaten by her family and filed a complaint at Al-Aziziya District Police but no legal action was taken against her brothers.” Abu Al-Khair said: “Pursuant to decision number 1900, the Minister of Interior is the only one who can determine the type of penalty for disobedience. The decision stipulates that anyone who assaults either of his parents will be detained. But what happens is that the police detain some women over disobedience charges while not determining whether the charges are correct.” Abu Al-Khair wondered how an academic could be accused of disobeying her parents when she is a victim of unjustified violence. Samar Badawi, Abu Al-Khair's wife, said that there are family violence cases that go unpunished. She wondered how an academic could be beaten by her brother who is 20 years her junior. Al-Hayat tried to call the academic but her cell phone was switched off.
