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RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 8225

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000045 
 
SIPDIS 
 
RIYADH PASS TO DHAHRAN, DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, GTIP, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2014 
TAGS: ELAB KCRM KPAO KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI JUDGES HEAR U.S. AND SAG VIEWS ON 
TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 
 
REF: 08 JEDDAH 0099 
 
Classified By: CG Martin R. Quinn for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Post outlined U.S. policies on human 
trafficking for an audience of Saudi judges, prosecutors, and 
investigators at a Jan 10-12 workshop on human trafficking at 
Prince Naif Arab Univerity for Security Sciences (NAUSS) in 
Riyadh.  The workshop addressed the relationship between 
Islam and trafficking, affirmed the need for stiff penalties 
to punish and deter TIP, recognized the need to help victims, 
and discussed a new comprehensive anti-TIP law under 
development.  However, participants appeared confused about 
the definition of TIP and evinced disbelief that Saudi Arabia 
(a Tier III country) could have a serious trafficking 
problem.  The seminar gave Post an opportunity to reach an 
audience that normally has little direct exposure to U.S. 
views.  NAUSS officials were very pleased with U.S. 
participation and expressed strong interest in further 
cooperation on law enforcement education and training.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) NAUSS is an institution sponsored by the Arab League 
that trains judicial, law enforcement, and security personnel 
from Arab League member states.  According to organizers, 
this was the University's third human trafficking seminar, 
and the first time the U.S. had been invited to participate. 
For this iteration, the majority of trainees were judges from 
Saudi courts of general jurisdiction, as well as a few 
prosecutors and investigators from around the country.  Saudi 
general courts apply Islamic Shari'ah law, and Saudi judges 
are trained as religious scholars.  The majority of the 
audience members did not speak any English, were marked as 
religious conservatives by their speech and dress, and 
probably have had little or no contact with mission 
personnel.  Speakers included Prince Turki bin Mohammed 
al-Saud al-Kebir, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs at 
the MFA, local academics, and experts from Europe, the United 
States, and Africa.  Prince Turki's speech was covered by 
Saudi media, but otherwise the conference was closed to the 
press. 
 
¶3. (SBU) PRESENTING THE U.S. PERSPECTIVE:  Jeddah poloff's 
presentation addressed trafficking definitions, U.S. TIP 
policies, and the particular trafficking challenges facing 
the Middle East and Saudi Arabia.  Questions and comments by 
audience members included claims that trafficking was rare in 
Saudi Arabia and that the U.S. was focusing on worst case 
examples.  Poloff responded that given the six million or so 
foreign workers in Saudi Arabia, even a small percentage of 
cases would yield a significant number of victims.  Another 
questioner asked whether the U.S. should be asserting its 
values to an Islamic country; in response poloff encouraged 
also using Islam as a basis for changing societal views on 
trafficking. 
 
¶4. (SBU) THE SAUDI LINE ON TIP:  A WESTERN PROBLEM BUT WE 
WILL PUNISH IT VIGOROUSLY:  Prince Turki's keynote address 
summed up the Saudi approach to trafficking.  On one hand he 
was defensive and rejected the idea that Saudi Arabia has a 
trafficking problem.  He remarked that, "Many Islamic, even 
Arab and Gulf countries are accused in reports of trafficking 
in persons.  No.  Our Islamic traditions and morals prohibit 
us from causing this phenomenon.  This practice was started 
in colonialist countries."  At the same time, he forcefully 
emphasized Saudi actions to confront trafficking that exists, 
stressing that "TIP is the most dangerous thing in the whole 
world.  It is against all religions."  He acknowledged that 
trafficking is a human rights violation, and noted a new 
Saudi anti-trafficking law was near completion.  He refused 
to discuss specifics, saying "It is not my right to talk 
about a law that has not been promulgated (yet)." 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Prince said the definition of trafficking in 
persons was confusing, and opined that simplifying the 
concept would help avoid errors that lead to a "stumbling and 
dangerous situation."  He noted there should be clear 
international reporting on local, national, and international 
violations of TIP, based on international norms.  He claimed 
information on TIP violations is simply copied from one year 
to the next in reports by the U.S. State Department and other 
 
JEDDAH 00000045  002 OF 002 
 
 
organizations without an adequate regard for changes.  He 
rejected this approach noting, "No other countries inspire us 
to change. We are inspired by our culture and religion."  A 
judge from Qatif later inquired why Saudis are not writing 
reports investigating the actions of other countries since 
Western nations do the same to Saudi Arabia.  Another 
participant commented that outside elements can't "force 
Saudi Arabia to change laws in order to satisfy other 
countries' demands.  The laws can't go against Islamic 
principles." 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Prince emphasized punishments as a critical tool 
in the fight against trafficking: "people participating in 
this practice need to be subjected to the most ferocious 
punishment(There is a need to define the penalties that will 
be imposed.  There needs to be a comprehensive code for 
penalization."  He went on to note the importance of the 
media as an outreach tool.  He solicited the help of civil 
organizations in developing strategies to counter 
trafficking, but did not mention the specific organizations 
he had in mind. 
 
¶7. (C) AMBIVALENCE ABOUT VICTIMS:  Audience members and 
panelists debated whether trafficking victims should be 
punished.  Some of the judges thought those who are 
trafficked into sex crimes are still accountable for their 
actions, but others, including the Saudi panelists, strongly 
disagreed.  One comment noted that "a victim should not be 
criminalized if that victim has fallen under compulsion." 
Prince Turki did not focus on the question of victims' 
culpability, but insisted that after-care for victims is part 
of Islamic principles.  He discouraged the practice of 
deporting possible victims before their cases were resolved. 
 
¶8. (C) ISLAM IS BOTH OBSTACLE AND SOLUTION:  An issue that 
came up throughout the workshop was the relationship between 
Islam and trafficking. A session of the workshop was devoted 
to a presentation and Q&A on the various ways that Sharia can 
be interpreted to combat trafficking and other labor abuses. 
The session provoked significant interest from the 
participants. One commented to Poloff that many Muslims 
believe the kinds of ills often associated with trafficking 
(prostitution, physical abuse, etc.) make it impossible for 
deeply religious Saudis to admit that such a problem could 
exist in their country.  In his address, Prince Turki 
portrayed Islam as only part of the equation, noting that 
trafficking solutions must comply with both Sharia and 
international law. 
 
¶9. (C) COMMENT:  The Saudis are trying to address TIP through 
educating officials who are likely to confront it.  There are 
still significant challenges however, since many of the 
judges, and probably many Saudis in general, appear to reject 
the very idea that Muslims can be capable of trafficking. 
There are even linguistic obstacles: the Arabic word for 
trafficking implies the buying or selling of people and is 
often associated only with sex trafficking.  This leads to 
confusion over the definition of trafficking, or selective 
understanding of trafficking concepts, which in turn often 
prevents Saudis from confronting the aspects of their law and 
culture that enable labor trafficking, such as the holding of 
passports, denial of exit visas, and non-payment of foreign 
workers.  Any successful strategy for combating TIP in Saudi 
Arabia will need to account for the role of Islam in both 
shaping Saudi attitudes and providing a tool for combating 
TIP abuses.  As Prince Turki's remarks demonstrated, we have 
significant work ahead of us to persuade the Saudi government 
to see the U.S. as a cooperating partner on TIP, rather than 
just another Western critic.  We have begun to make progress, 
however, since despite all the complaining about U.S. 
criticism and the TIP report, and after remaining on Tier III 
for several years, the Saudi government is moving towards 
passing a major anti-trafficking law and is inviting U.S. 
officials to help train its judges.  END COMMENT. 
QUINN