FBI: Saudis help citizens avoid US crime prosecution
According to a newly released and declassified eight-page memo from the FBI, the government of Saudi Arabia “almost certainly” helps its citizens accused of serious crimes flee from the United States.
Most of the document is redacted, but the FBI said the Saudi government “undermines the U.S. judicial process” by assisting with the escape of citizens accused of offenses ranging from traffic violations to “rape, child pornography, and manslaughter.”
It said it made the assessment of the issue with “high confidence.”
The Saudi government does this, the FBI said, to avoid the embarrassment of “Saudi citizens enduring the U.S. judicial process” and is not likely to change the practice without pressure from the U.S.
The documents were released as part of a request to the FBI from Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, both Democrats from Oregon. In response to investigative reporting by The Oregonian, Wyden sponsored legislation requiring the FBI to reveal information about Saudi assistance of fugitives. The bill became law in December.
The Oregonian estimated that about two dozen Saudi citizens accused of serious crimes have fled the U.S.
The White House and State Department referred questions to the Department of Justice and the FBI. The FBI said it had no further comment.
If Saudi citizens accused of crimes flee, it’s difficult for the U.S. to prosecute because the Saudi and U.S. governments do not have an extradition treaty.