U.S. astonished by Saudi rape sentence

U.S. astonished by Saudi rape sentence

WASHINGTON - The State Department expressed astonishment Tuesday about a Saudi court's sentence of six months in jail and 200 lashes for a woman who was gang raped.

...The decision by the Qatif General Court more than doubled the woman's sentence after she was convicted of being in the car of a man who was not a relative.

The woman initially had been sentenced to 90 lashes after she was convicted of violating rigid laws on the segregation of the sexes. The Saudi court said the woman's punishment was increased because of "her attempt to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media."

...The seven men convicted of raping the woman were given prison sentences of two years to nine years.

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