Job Discussion Forums

[ghost]

William Sampson`s book about his experiences in a Saudi jail appear to be exaggerated, and one wishes to question the veracity of his claims.

Sampson, a dual Canadian-British subject, was jailed somewhere near Riyadh some years ago on charges of being a spy against the Saudi regime. He was on contract in Saudi at the time as a research engineer. He was accused of master minding several fatal car bombs, and other terrorist activities.

During his jail time, he was ``forced`` to sign confession papers, admitting guilt. He was also forced to denounce other ex-pats working in Saudi, including a Philippino car mechanic.

His account of his time in jail is frightening and horrific. Tales of beatings, and rapes (on his person) by his Saudi interrogation team fill chapter after chapter, with no details spared, including chapters where he describes his rebellion at his imprisonment by using his personal human waste as a lotion which he used on his body to deter his captors, and other gross details, too numerous to mention.

He came under the `care` of the Canadian Embassy at the time, and Sampson claims that the Canadian Consul was very unsympathetic to his plight, because Canada needed to preserve ``good relations`` with Saudi. And on and on the book goes, so much so, that it appears that the book is more a work of fiction than a portrayal of the reality faced by Sampson. It is simply too hard to believe.

Simple example: Sampson claims that his weekly torture sessions (beatings) were always followed by visits to the doctor, who checked Sampson`s condition, and then pronounced him ``fit`` to return to his cell....despite obvious signs of external and internal torture. Some of the doctors were from Pakistan and India. Is it really conceivable that they (the doctors) would do nothing?

Does anyone have the true facts about this character? (Sampson)

It all seems very far fetched. And quite frankly, anyone who reads (and believes) the tale, would probably never want to set foot in the Kingdom.

Opinions and answers, many thanks.

Ghost

[Arab Strap]

What makes you think that his account is anything but factual?

Have you ever set foot inside Saudi Arabia?

Anything that Sampson suffered is standard fare in the Magic Kingdom no matter what you're accused of...................I have personal experience of the Saudi justice system but I'd rarher not elaborate on this forum.

At the end of the day this is a teacher's forum and not the place to discuss such issues.

[Cleopatra]

[babalo5]

Some interesting information and analysis about William Sampson's case, can be found in the following web site:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1015134,00.html


http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/sampson/gfx/titlephoto.jpg

[Miss TESOL]

Just read this book last summer and found his account totally believable--no reason to believe otherwise that I've seen in reviews of his work. According to Sampson, the bottom of his feet bore signs of the torture administered w/ cane--when the doctors analysed the scans of his feet, the damage to tissue was consistent with that noted in other torture victims, and Sampson says he broke down at this point, relieved by evidence confirming his story, emotion, etc.

Miss T

[ghost]

Sorry for any doubts one may have had.

The more one reads about the case, the more plausible it (the claims) become.

Incredible that in recent times, such things could happen.....

The most shocking aspect of the case, was the incompetence and denial given by the various Canadian consuls, who appeared to deny the facts Sampson presented to them.......

ghost

[Cleopatra]

[Queen of Sheba]

I think expats tend to become relaxed in KSA, and its important to remind ourselves every now and then that they do have extremely different laws and customs. I have to agree that the scenario is entirely possible in KSA, as well as other countries in the region. If you read up on reports by Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International, both of which are banned to report and work in KSA by the way, such stuff is actually quite common in prisons in many countries. In addition, Sharia laws aren�t exactly on the side of modern human rights concepts. I read the articles about this case and these guys were breaking local laws and somehow involved in, or contributed to the local alcohol trade. Just because people can seemingly "get away" with drinking and make-shift pubs in KSA, doesn�t make it right to break the local laws nor do the authorities always chose to look the other way. While I do sympathize with the (probable) torture these men faced, what they were engaged in was illegal, and the situation not unlike the prohibition days in the US, when risks were involved in going to a bar or selling or buying alcohol. There are �mafias� that run alcohol around on a black market in KSA, and maybe these men weren�t the ones running the pubs or the alcohol, maybe they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or they were stalked by muttawas or the authorites to be made an example of. Maybe they were caught so those that caught them could sell the alcohol instead!? People think a compound is like an embassy, and therefore immune to laws, but we can see that even on a compound it�s still considered illegal-it�s just that the chances of repercussion are greatly reduced...or are they when everyone know what happends on compounds? This case tells us that compounds are not exempt to such laws, one is only less likely to be spotted and caught is about all. Laws aren�t tangible in Saudi Arabia, this is why it�s best to keep your nose clean, and if you don�t, don't except your Embassy to come bail you out so easily, after it was you who broke the local laws in the first place!

I am also somewhat suspicious of the contents of this book, as I am skeptical of all books where the sources can't be fact checked or consulted due to the respective government's policies that don't include freedom of information. They don�t exactly hand out police reports in KSA to anybody who asks for one, as they do in the US. If you read such a book you have to take these facts into account and certainly never expect it to be completely unbiased. So we may never know if it was a book written out of sensationalized reports riding on the propaganda machine against the Middle East and Muslim countries, or if it really happened and resulted in a book. Come to think of it, English teachers and expats often aspire to write a book about their experiences abroad.

Its important for us to keep human rights into perspective during this discussion so we don't go casting stones at some and leave others spotless. Let us recall that countries who "have" human rights are caught doing such acts all the time; Abu Gareeb, Guantanamo and the unlisted off-shore prisons of the US come to mind. Need I list how many soldiers of various nationalities have been done sick stuff in Iraqi prisions? I don't see any books coming out by those prisioners, as I suspect they are still suffering, or dead, and have never been saved by any embassy.

[Cleopatra]

... and while we're on the subject of lucrative British arms deals with KSA:

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foi/story/0,,1933764,00.html

[ntropy]

I don't doubt Sampson's account is largely factual.

He was also admittedly very involved in the alcohol trade.

I believe the real reason the Saudi's took such a line with him was to scapegoat him for the terrorist attacks on Westerners, blaming them on black market alcohol when they were clearly locally based against Western interests, something the Saudis didn't want to admit even to themselves. Couldn't sweep it under the carpet when the attacks got blatant and had to admit they had an internal problem.

[ghost]

The social climate in Saudi Arabia is largely about `external face` and you and the Saudis have to keep the mask on to make things work, because the Saudis need us, and many of us need the Saudis (for the monetary benefits of working there).

Some teachers find it quite challenging to work in the Kingdom, because they (the teachers) have to train themselves to think before they speak, especially in informal conversation classes and sessions.

In 2005, a Saudi chemistry teacher was sentenced to 3.5 years in jail and a public flogging of 750 lashes because he had encouraged his students to think `critically` (translation: open, free thinking) about questions pertaining to the Koran and the Prophet Muhammed. The teacher`s lawyer was banned from the trial, and the big judicial machine did its job. Human rights groups overseas were unsuccessful in getting any info. about the case from the Saudi government.

Some teachers find the strain of keeping the mask too trying, and eventually leave the Kingdom, and possibly their best ``money`` deals they will ever have......sad but the reality is such.

ghost

[Queen of Sheba]

[wildfire]

being beaten then visited by the doctor to see if you
can withstand more is the norm in all TORTURE situations.

if you know anything about the Argentinian torture under whats his name u will hear exactly the same tales almost word for word.

professional torture.


and they usually fatten you up with carbs before they let u go and make sure there are no marks on your body.

this often delays the release of the prisoner.

well ,,,,all i can say is REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT IN YOUR Country and EMBASSIES DO NOTHING 100 percent of the time.

[Dr WHO]

[Dr WHO]