Hearing in Al-Huraisi Case to Start Tuesday

RIYADH, 28 October 2007 — The trial of two members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, who allegedly beat to death Salman Al-Huraisi during a raid on his house in search for alcohol, is set to start here on Tuesday.

“One of the three judges presiding over the case today looked at papers submitted by our lawyer and scheduled the hearing for Tuesday,” Ali Al-Huraisi, the victim’s brother, said yesterday.

The Al-Huraisi family is demanding the death sentence for an unnamed commission member, who has been charged with murder.

Since Al-Huraisi’s death, the General Investigation and Prosecution Authority has questioned several of his relatives to determine their connection with alcohol and narcotics found in the house.

Al-Huraisi, who worked as a security guard at a five-star hotel in Riyadh, died in late May after commission members allegedly beat him following his arrest. According to Al-Huraisi’s father, three commission members punched and kicked his handcuffed son at a commission center until he stopped moving. He was pronounced dead several hours later by a medical team.

Al-Huraisi, together with 11 members of his family, including women and children, were taken to a commission office in the Al-Uraija district of Riyadh where they were detained for various periods ranging from several days to weeks.

Over 18 commission members, not including police officers, took part in the raid on Al-Huraisi’s house. Two commission members, who are non-field agents, have also been held responsible for Al-Huraisi’s death.

Despite attempts by the commission to settle the matter out of court, Al-Huraisi’s family has not succumbed to pressure to drop the case. Relatives of the deceased told Arab News how they have been approached with promise of money, cars and title deeds if they drop the case.

Al-Huraisi’s death caused public outrage over the role of the commission. Many writers and columnists have called for the commission to change its methods of operation, particularly the way it deals with people in public.