Woman 'Locked Up' By Her Father In Saudi Arabia Is Not Back In UK, Says Lawyer

Woman 'Locked Up' By Her Father In Saudi Arabia Is Not Back In UK, Says Lawyer

A 21-year-old woman who found herself at the centre of a High Court battle after complaining that she had been imprisoned by her father in Saudi Arabia has yet to return to Britain - despite a landmark ruling by a judge, a lawyer says.

Mr Justice Holman ordered Saudi academic Mohammed Al-Jeffery to return Amina Al-Jeffery to Britain on August 3 after analysing the case at a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

The judge said Mr Al-Jeffery had to ''permit and facilitate'' Miss Al-Jeffery's return to England or Wales by 4pm on September 11.

Solicitor Anne-Marie Hutchinson, who represents Miss Al-Jeffery and is a partner at London law firm Dawson Cornwell, says her client has yet to return.

Miss Al-Jeffery - who grew up in Swansea and has dual British and Saudi Arabian nationality - complained her father locked her up in his flat in Jeddah because she had ''kissed a guy''.

She had described herself as being ''locked in a cage''.

Her father disputed her allegations and said he was trying to protect her.

Mr Justice Holman concluded that Miss Al-Jeffery's freedom of movement had been severely constrained.

He said she could be described as ''caged'' - although she was not literally ''in a cage''.

The judge said she was a British citizen abroad who was in peril and who needed protection.

He concluded he had the power to make protective orders and said doing nothing would be a ''dereliction''.

Dawson Cornwell lawyers had described the ruling as a landmark and said they expected Mr Al-Jeffery to comply with Mr Justice Holman's order.

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