U.S. Court Takes Jurisdiction to Control Custody over U.S. National in Saudi Arabia

On December 16, 2004, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ruled that United States courts had jurisdiction in the case of Ahmed Abu Ali, a U.S. citizen jailed in Saudi Arabia as a terrorism suspect. The ruling sets a unique precedent in transnational criminal and international human rights cases. Mr. Abu Ali was arrested by Saudi authorities while attending the Islamic University of Medina in Saudi Arabia in June 2004. A major issue was whether the U.S. government has some responsibility for him because of credible allegations that U.S. officials had been responsible for his arrest, detention and interrogation...[more]