Open Letter to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office / Boris Johnson

Dear Mr Johnson,

Re Amina Al-Jeffery

We the undersigned write to ask in the strongest possible terms that the FCO brings every possible pressure to bear on the authorities in Saudi Arabia to ensure the safe return of this young woman to the UK without delay.

Amina is 21 years old. She was taken to Jeddah by her father in May 2012 because in his terms, she was becoming too Westernised. It is alleged that she is being kept against her will in the most inhumane conditions imaginable; caged, physically assaulted, deprived of food and water and refused permission to use the bathroom.

Amina has joint British and Saudi Arabian Citizenship: her Mother and many of her 9 siblings live in Swansea, and Amina is being deprived of all contact with them.

Amina is subject to protective orders under the Inherent Jurisdiction of the High Court and orders have been made to try to secure her safe return to the Jurisdiction. Her father is refusing to co-operate with the Consul in Jeddah.

Today Mr Justice Holman has ordered Amina’s father to “permit and facilitate” Amina’s return to the UK, and to pay for her airfare, stating that she must return by 11th September 2016. Given the problems of enforcing this order in Saudi Arabia, we call upon the FCO to ensure that the order is complied with.

It is unconscionable that a young woman should be treated in this way, and she is entitled to the protection of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We ask that urgent intervention is taken to secure her safe return.

Signed by:

Cris McCurley, Partner at Ben Hoare Bell Solicitors LLP

Pragna Patel, Director of

Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid

Dianna Nammi, Director of IKWRO

Vivienne Hayes MBE, Director of Women’s Resource Centre

Rachel Krys, Co-director of End Network

Rosie Lewis, Assistant Director of the Angelou Centre

Umme Imam, Director of the Angelou Centre

Shahien Taj OBE, Director of the Henna Foundation

Deeyah Khan, Film Maker and Founder of Fuuse

Shaheen Hashmat, Writer and Activist

Eleanor Linsey, Sisters of Frida Gita Sahgal, Director of the Centre for Secular Space

Gwenda Nichols, President of the National Council of Women for Great Britain

Joanne Peyton, Women’s rights activist

Sameem Ali, Author/Politician

Sue Robson, NE CEDAW group Chair

Shahda Khan MBE, NEWN

Sharron Ward, Director/Producer of Katalyst films

Pat Garrett, Women’s Rights Activist

Hannah Summers, Journalist

Helen McCormack, Women’s Rights Activist

Rukshana Thakrar, Independent Social Worker

Polly Harrar, Director of the Sharon Project

Yasminara Khan, TV researcher/Journalist

Harriet Wistrich, Director of Centre for Women’s Justice

Libbey Maktari, Independent Yemen Group

Annie Bishop, NEWN

Henna Cheema, African Initiatives

Usha Sood, Barrister

Denise Gilley, ISW

Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson for One Law For All

Gina Khan, Spokesperson for One Law For All

Jasvinder Sahgera CBE, CEO of Karma Nirvana

Dr , Emeritus Professor at City University of New York

Dr Paula Boddington Senior Researcher,

Lionel Joyce CBE

Kathleen Sloan, Women’s Rights Activist

Carol Meredith, Women’s Rights Activist

Becky Rogerson, Director of My Sister’s Place

Dr Hilary Middleton Price, Honorary Fellow of Manchester University

Lalaie Ameeriar, Academic and researcher, IKWRO

Dr Phillipa Dawson Ruth Eagle

Fiona Nichol, Manager at Wear Valley Women’s Aid

Emma Boyd, Women’s Rights Advocate

Rashid Begum, Solicitor

Bal Howard, Project and Performance Manager HBV at Suffolk Constabulary

Sarah Smeeth, National Probation Service

Vicki Marcus, Consultant Social Worker

Professor Kathryn Hollingsworth, Newcastle University Law School

Dr Nicki Godden-Rasul, Newcastle University Law School

Claire Allen, Criminal Justice worker

Martyn Jones, Chief Executive Prif Weithredwr

Barbara Natesegara, BAWSO

Shelley Moore, Women’s Safety Officer

Ellie Richols, Comms Officer at African Initiatives