Saudi student in U.S. cleared of raping man

A Saudi student in the United States was cleared of raping an American man but not before remaining in custody for 100 days, Al-Hayat newspaper reported.

An Oklahoma courthouse on Friday heard how three Saudis including Naif Al-Bugamy met the plaintiff in a bar and coaxed him into an apartment where they took turns raping him.

The defendant’s sister Tahani Al-Bugamy said her brother was arrested with two other Saudis.

She said: “The other two were released within weeks but my brother had to stay behind bars for another month after his arrest.

“He had to undergo a six-hour court hearing before his innocence was finally proven.

“Meanwhile the media had done my brother injustice and ruined his reputation back home.”

She added her parents were relieved following the news of Al-Bugamy’s release because his father’s health suffered from the media coverage of the trial.

Al-Bugamy said: “My brother has a prestigious job in the security force in the Kingdom.

“He came with me as my guardian as I was completing my master’s degree in computer science in Oklahoma University.

“He was also thinking of completing his studies there.

She also said that during her brother’s imprisonment his visa had expired. Now he is renewing his visa and going through the paperwork to be able to go back home.

She said: “He had not even completed a year in America.

“When he was arrested, I was the only family he had there and I had to follow up and go through the American legal system on my own. The American authorities are still searching for the plaintiff who testified falsely against my brother and the other two.

“The authorities lost contact with the plaintiff completely and their search is ongoing.”