Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has pardoned the victim of a gang-rape, whose sentencing to 200 lashes caused an international outcry, a Saudi newspaper said yesterday.

The daily al-Jazirah cited the Justice Minister Abdullah bin Mohammad al-Sheikh as saying the king had the right to issue pardons if it was in the "public interest".

The minister did not confirm if the pardon, reported from unnamed sources, was correct but the newspaper is close to the religious establishment who control the Justice Ministry.

The Saudi monarch usually issues pardons to mark the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival which begins tomorrow, but such announcements are published on the official Saudi Press Agency.

The 19-year-old Shi'ite woman was abducted and raped along with a male companion by seven men last year in a case that has drawn criticism from around the world.

Ruling according to Saudi Arabia's strict reading of Islamic law, a court originally sentenced the woman to 90 lashes for being alone with an unrelated man and the rapists to prison terms of up to five years.

The Supreme Judicial Council last month increased the sentence to 200 lashes and six months in prison and ordered the rapists to serve between two years and nine years in prison.

US President George W. Bush said earlier this month that King Abdullah "knows our position loud and clear" on the case. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said last month he hoped the ruling would be changed.

Agencies

(China Daily 12/18/2007 page7)