http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=63389&d=8&m=5&y=2005
Sunday, 8, May, 2005 (29, Rabi` al-Awwal, 1426)
New Twist in Nour Miyati Torture Case Baffles All
Maha Akeel, Arab News
JEDDAH, 8 May 2005 - The inquiry report in the case of the
Indonesian maid, Nour Miyati, who accused her sponsor and his wife of torture
came as a surprise to everyone.
Quoting a statement by the Riyadh governorate, the Saudi
Press Agency reported on Friday that during questioning by investigators Miyati
herself retracted earlier charges that she was tied up and tortured by her
employer. Miyati has now been charged with making false allegations against her
employer.
"We were not involved with the investigation and did not
attend the questioning of Nour Miyati. We only found out the result from the
newspapers, so we don't know yet why she changed her statement," M. Sukiarto,
labor attach� at the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh, told Arab News.
In March, Miyati in critical condition was taken to a Riyadh
hospital by her sponsor; she had severe injuries causing gangrene to her
fingers, toes and part of her right foot. Some of her fingers have been
amputated.
She initially claimed that her sponsor had tied her up for a
month in a bathroom and beat her severely, injuring her eyes and knocking out
several of her teeth.
In the latest inquiry report, Miyati has retracted her
accusations of being tied up and tortured. Sukiarto said he would visit her at
the hospital today and get a clarification. He will also consult with the
lawyer the embassy had assigned to her.
Sukiarto too was kept away from the latest investigation.
"Our duty at the embassy is to protect the rights of our citizens and we will
follow up on the case to make sure Nour Miyati is treated fairly and receives
her rights," he said.
He said that a diplomatic note had been sent from the Foreign
Office in Jakarta to all Indonesian embassies and foreign ministries in the
Gulf concerning the treatment of Indonesian workers. "The case of Nour Miyati
is considered as a separate and single incident and does not affect the
agreements for better treatment of workers, especially housemaids," he said.
The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) intervened on
behalf of Miyati as soon as they became aware of the case but they too were
denied access to Miyati during the investigation. "The investigative committee
did not want Miyati to be under any kind of pressure or influence; that is why
they kept her out of reach of anyone including her embassy," said Thuraya Abid
Sheikh, a NSHR member who followed up on the case.
She said the society had received a copy of the investigative
report the night before it was published in the papers and that it seemed to be
thorough. "They have a medical report and took their time in investigating the
case so I expect that it was a fair and accurate report," she told Arab News.
She said that according to the medical report there were no
physical injuries on Miyati's body consistent with torture except those on her
face which her sponsor and his wife admitted to. The report suggests that the
gangrene was the result of other medical problems suffered by Miyati. Her
sponsor and his wife are charged with negligence for not providing her with
proper medical care as well as assault and mistreatment.
"Our role now is to follow up on what punishment the sponsor
and his wife will get and to ensure that Miyati receives all her rights,
whether financial or medical care, before she leaves the country," Thuraya told
Arab News.
Dr. Lubna Al-Ansari, a physician and a senior member of the
NSHR, said that although she was not part of the team that followed up the
case, as a physician she believes the medical report is not clear enough. "From
the medical and psychological assessment of the patient, it is not clear to me
what exactly she is suffering from that caused her gangrene and injuries," she
told Arab News. She expects the NSHR to meet Miyati to ensure that she has not
been under any kind of pressure and that the investigation was valid.
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