JEDDAH — A civil court in Jeddah has issued an online production warrant against an accused who failed to appear for the court session. Meanwhile, the court allowed his non-Saudi wife to secure a divorce and keep the custody of their children. The court found that the accused was convicted more than once for many crimes, including the possession, use, and sale of drugs while observing that the woman was a victim of his torture and domestic abuse. Umm Saad, the wife, is an Arab national, who gave birth to five children after being married to the accused. Their marriage took place at the premises of the consulate of her country in the Kingdom and her brother acted as the legal guardian during the marriage ceremony. At the time of marriage, the woman was not aware of the criminal record of the man who was working in the field of child education. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Umm Saad said that her husband did not treat her well and used to beat her. "He threatened to kill me, locked me inside the house, and took away my phone so that I could not call anybody," she said while confirming her claims with scenes from the shelter home and complaints lodged with the police station. The woman said that she was ready to withdraw the complaints after the intervention of his father and her fear for the children. "The court had seen medical reports of bruises in the head that vindicated my testimony of being a victim of harassment. The court also received a report from the criminal evidence department indicating that the accused had been awarded prison terms for consuming and possessing hashish, and another 15-month jail term for the possession of hashish, but later had benefited from the amnesty. The court also received a letter from the Narcotics Control Department stating that there are three cases registered against the defendant related to the sale of prohibited drug pills. The shelter home also reported that it had received the wife's complaint. The husband also failed to comply with the court directive to attend the hearings in person despite being informed electronically. Taking into account all these factors, the court ruled for the annulment of the marriage contract without any financial compensation. The wife pleaded the court to have a binding contract in the presence of her former husband to fulfill all the terms and conditions related to their separation and the custody of children. Accordingly, the court ruled to produce the man by force in front of the court to complete the court procedures on a date that the court will announce later.
