Joseph Mayton - AHN Middle East Correspondent
Cairo, Egypt (AHN) - Human Rights Watch has asked the Saudi Arabian government to reverse a court decision that dropped all charges against a Saudi employer accused of abusing a foreign-born worker.
The Indonesian worker, Nour Miyati, required several surgeries and was forced to have her toes and fingers amputated, HRW said in a statement.
The judge who threw the case out awarded Miyati 2,500 riyals ($670) as compensation. HRW said that this was "a small fraction of what such injuries would normally garner in Saudi Arabia."
The female employer confessed to abusing Miyati and received 35 lashes. In a previous ruling, the male employer had all charges against him dropped.
The Washington, D.C.-based rights organization called on the appeals court to impose stiff penalties on employers, including prison time and payment of significant financial compensation for Miyati.
On Monday, a Riyadh judge reviewed the case and handed down a second verdict, which HRW said ignored compelling physical evidence and found the female employer not guilty of abuse despite her confession.
"This outrageous ruling sends a dangerous message to Saudi employers that they can beat domestic workers with impunity, and that victims have little hope of justice," said Nisha Varia, senior researcher in the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch.
"Instead of instilling confidence among migrant workers that they can seek redress through the Saudi justice system, this decision shows that even a case involving egregious abuse, ample evidence, and intense public scrutiny has not been given fair treatment."
