Egyptian Doctor tortured in Saudi Jail- Call to Action

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Monday December 22, 2008 · 9:30 PM PST

2008/12/22 · 21:30

This is my first diary, so please be gentle...

I have finally seen something that has me beside myself, yet is not already diaried here. Egyptian doctor Raouf Amin El-Arabi served the Saudi Royal Family for more than 20 years before being tried and convicted of causing a Saudi princess to be addicted to painkillers. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison and 700 lashes. Upon appealing his sentence, the judge doubled both the jail term and the whippings. Dr. El-Arabi started his sentence in November and has been served 70 lashes a week since then. His family is devastated.

Original story:
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/...

My few years of medical education tell me that even one beating of 70 lashes is a threat to life, much less having this repeated weekly. The judge has implied that this is a light sentence since it is not "technically" a death sentence or life imprisonment. However, Dr. El-Arabi simply gave the princess the narcotics she asked for by name, ones she had received in the US after falling from a horse.

Poll

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The best way to address Saudi human rights issues is:

20 votes Vote Now!

The best way to address Saudi human rights issues is:

to demand that the U.S. government put diplomatic pressure on them

4 votes

to demand some kind of sanctions

3 votes

to establish democracies in the Middle East to serve as examples

0 votes

to bring pressure on them through the U.N.

3 votes

to publicize gross miscarriages of justice such as this case

7 votes

to support Saudi feminists

1 vote

to support NGO's working on the issues

0 votes

other- elaborate below

2 votes

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