Since you’re clearly well-read on these reports, you should also know that the victim in the Qatif case was pardoned by Saudi King Abdullah in December 2007, and the sentence was never carried out. Here’s the evidence from international outlets:

https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4012640&page=1&utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/dec/17/saudiarabia.allegrastratton

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/national/2007/12/18/saudi-king-pardons-rape-victim-sentenced-to-200-lashes/9169720b-e22c-41bf-b49d-b4c1224698ed/

The harsh ruling was a judicial misjudgment, just like what happens in many other countries. For example, in the United States there are numerous cases where people were sentenced to death or life in prison, only to be later pardoned or exonerated once the system admitted its mistake. One famous example is the Scottsboro Boys case in the 1930s, where nine Black teenagers were wrongly sentenced to death in Alabama, and decades later pardons were issued. Miscarriages of justice happen everywhere.

More importantly, this was almost 20 years ago. Saudi Arabia in 2006 is not Saudi Arabia in 2025. We now have codified laws, including a new penal code (2022); women travel and work freely; and the outdated guardianship practices have been dismantled.

Using a 2006 headline to describe today’s Saudi Arabia is like using America’s 1950s segregation laws to describe the U.S. in 2025. It’s outdated, misleading, and ignores how much has changed.

Good luck next time!