Of course: it was “Islamophobia” that made it seem as if Homaidan al-Turki was keeping his housekeeper as his sex slave. Of course, the Qur’an and some contemporary Muslim authorities justify sex slavery, so only greasy Islamophobes could object, right?
“Mr. al-Turki has never accepted responsibility for his crimes nor undergone any rehabilitation as a sex offender. I am hopeful that the Department of Corrections will put the interests of justice and the protection of women above the interests of the Saudi government.” Don’t count on it.
“Saudi man convicted of sex assault in ’06 may be allowed to leave U.S.,” from the Associated Press, February 17 (thanks to Bill):
A Saudi linguist convicted of sexually assaulting a housekeeper and keeping her a virtual slave for four years in Colorado has cleared initial administrative hurdles to be transferred to Saudi Arabia under a U.S. treaty, angering prosecutors who put him in prison.
Homaidan al-Turki’s application to serve the remainder of his sentence in Saudi Arabia cleared reviews by prison officials and is awaiting final approval by Colorado Department of Corrections Director Tom Clements, department spokeswoman Katherine Sanguinetti said Friday. The foreign-national offender-transfer application would then undergo a federal review, and if approved, al-Turki would be sent to Saudi Arabia.
Al-Turki was convicted in 2006 of unlawful sexual contact by use of force, theft and extortion “” all felonies “” as well as misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment. He was sentenced to 28 years to life in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office dropped similar federal charges.
A judge in 2011 reduced al-Turki’s minimum sentence by 20 years, based on a Colorado Supreme Court ruling that now makes al-Turki eligible for parole. Sex offenders in Colorado, however, typically must participate in rehabilitation programs while incarcerated before being considered for release.
18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler, who took office last month, opposes the transfer, saying there are no assurances that al-Turki will serve the remainder of his sentence once he’s out of the United States.
“It is completely unacceptable that a sex offender of any nationality be released before completing his sentence,” Brauchler said in a statement. “Mr. al-Turki has never accepted responsibility for his crimes nor undergone any rehabilitation as a sex offender. I am hopeful that the Department of Corrections will put the interests of justice and the protection of women above the interests of the Saudi government.”
Prosecutors said the Indonesian housekeeper, who was in her early 20s, has since returned to her home country.
Federal prosecutors had no immediate comment.
Al-Turki says he’s innocent and a victim of anti-Muslim sentiment. He testified at trial that FBI agents persuaded his housekeeper to accuse him of imprisoning and sexually assaulting her in his basement after they failed to build a case that he was a terrorist.
His 2006 conviction angered Saudi officials and prompted the U.S. State Department to send Colorado Attorney General John Suthers to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan and al-Turki’s family.
Al-Turki brought his wife, five children and the housekeeper to Colorado in 1995 and was a student at the University of Colorado.
According to court documents, al-Turki first came under investigation when authorities examined whether his operation of a business violated terms of his student visa. Al-Turki owned Al-Basheer Publications & Translations, which distributed Islamic works in English and holds the copyright to recordings by U.S.-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed in a 2011 drone strike in Yemen.