Saudi national freed after 19 years in US prison, set for deportation
Al-Turki was convicted in 2006 on charges of unlawful imprisonment and assault against his Indonesian housekeeper in the state of Colorado, a case that sparked widespread controversy and allegations of judicial bias.
According to local media reports, a court in Colorado ruled last week to close Al-Turki's case and authorize his deportation after he accepted a plea agreement.
The ruling followed a new hearing in which his legal team successfully argued that his original trial was marred by ineffective counsel.
The court agreed to resentence Al-Turki to lesser charges, contingent on his removal from the United States.
A representative of the Saudi embassy's legal team and several of Al-Turki's daughters were present at the hearing.
Sources familiar with the matter told that Al-Turki was transferred to the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday, with his return to Saudi Arabia pending final procedures.
The decision ends a legal saga that began in 2004, when Al-Turki was first arrested alongside his wife for alleged immigration violations.
He was later re-arrested in 2006 and sentenced to 28 years in prison. His case drew intense attention both in Saudi Arabia and among Muslim advocacy groups in the US, who argued he was targeted due to rising Islamophobia in the post-9/11 climate.
A former linguistics scholar and PhD candidate at the University of Denver, Al-Turki maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment, describing himself as a victim of anti-Muslim sentiment.
In 2013, while serving his sentence, Al-Turki was briefly investigated in connection with the killing of a Colorado corrections official—a claim he denied and was never charged for.
During his incarceration, his family launched repeated legal petitions seeking clemency or case review, all of which were rejected until the latest court decision.
With the victim's whereabouts unknown and key witnesses deceased, the district attorney's office cited the challenges of retrying the case as a factor in accepting the plea deal.
'This resolution ensures Al-Turki remains a convicted felon and is permanently removed from our community,' said Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley in a statement.
The case, long seen in Saudi Arabia as politically and emotionally charged, is now formally closed. Al-Turki's family has refrained from public comment, awaiting his safe return to Riyadh. — SG with inputs from Agencies
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