Latest news with #HomaidanAl-Turki
Saudi Gazette
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi national freed after 19 years in US prison, set for deportation
DENVER — Saudi citizen Homaidan Al-Turki, 56, is expected to arrive in the Kingdom in the coming days following nearly two decades of imprisonment in the United States. Al-Turki was convicted in 2006 on charges of unlawful imprisonment and assault against his Indonesian housekeeper in the state of Colorado, a case that sparked widespread controversy and allegations of judicial bias. According to local media reports, a court in Colorado ruled last week to close Al-Turki's case and authorize his deportation after he accepted a plea agreement. The ruling followed a new hearing in which his legal team successfully argued that his original trial was marred by ineffective counsel. The court agreed to resentence Al-Turki to lesser charges, contingent on his removal from the United States. A representative of the Saudi embassy's legal team and several of Al-Turki's daughters were present at the hearing. Sources familiar with the matter told that Al-Turki was transferred to the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday, with his return to Saudi Arabia pending final procedures. The decision ends a legal saga that began in 2004, when Al-Turki was first arrested alongside his wife for alleged immigration violations. He was later re-arrested in 2006 and sentenced to 28 years in prison. His case drew intense attention both in Saudi Arabia and among Muslim advocacy groups in the US, who argued he was targeted due to rising Islamophobia in the post-9/11 climate. A former linguistics scholar and PhD candidate at the University of Denver, Al-Turki maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment, describing himself as a victim of anti-Muslim sentiment. In 2013, while serving his sentence, Al-Turki was briefly investigated in connection with the killing of a Colorado corrections official—a claim he denied and was never charged for. During his incarceration, his family launched repeated legal petitions seeking clemency or case review, all of which were rejected until the latest court decision. With the victim's whereabouts unknown and key witnesses deceased, the district attorney's office cited the challenges of retrying the case as a factor in accepting the plea deal. 'This resolution ensures Al-Turki remains a convicted felon and is permanently removed from our community,' said Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley in a statement. The case, long seen in Saudi Arabia as politically and emotionally charged, is now formally closed. Al-Turki's family has refrained from public comment, awaiting his safe return to Riyadh. — SG with inputs from Agencies
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man who served 19 years for holding housekeeper captive resentenced, will be deported
DENVER (KDVR) — On Tuesday, a man pleaded guilty to 11 amended charges related to accusations of holding his Indonesian-born housekeeper captive and repeatedly molesting her over four years, and was immediately resentenced, according to a Colorado district attorney's office. Homaidan Al-Turki, 56, stood trial in 2006 and was convicted of 18 charges, ranging from false imprisonment to unlawful sexual contact, extortion and theft stemming from 2000 to 2004, the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office reported on Thursday. Since then, Al-Turki has been serving his six-year-to-life sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections. Previous case reporting: Declassified documents show possible link between man in Colorado and 9/11 He became eligible for parole in 2011, but didn't participate in the DOC's sex-offender treatment program, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office. Because he didn't participate in the program, he was prohibited from release, delaying his deportation back to Saudi Arabia. Al-Turki has filed several motions with the court alleging that his defense counsel improperly represented him. A hearing to determine if Al-Turki qualified for post-conviction relief led to the DA's office agreeing to amend 11 counts if Al-Turki would plead guilty to them. Those charges were all criminal attempt to commit unlawful sexual contact by physical force, and a judge sentenced Al-Turki to six years on each amended count to be served concurrently. 'Mr. Al-Turki raised 6th Amendment concerns that his trial attorneys—all four of them— failed to adequately research Colorado statutes relating to sentencing for unlawful sexual behaviors,' Chief Deputy DA Ann Tomsic said in a release. 'This issue, coupled with the nearly 19 years the defendant has served in prison and the difficulties retrying the case due to its age, unknown location of the victim, and death of witnesses, necessitated an agreement to a reduction in the eleven sex offense charges and their sentences, along with an understanding that he will be immediately removed from the United States.' Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took Al-Turki into custody on Tuesday and will remove him from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia. 'Al-Turki has served nearly two decades in prison for his heinous and aggravated conduct,' District Attorney Amy Padden said. 'Returning this convicted felon and sex offender to his home country ensures he will not be able to prey on anyone else in our community.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
