A 25-year-old South African woman from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape detained by authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expected to appear before a Qadi (judge) in that country next week.
Yumna Desai who was studying in Medina was arrested along with her sister and two brothers in November almost two years ago after they returned to the kingdom following their Ramadan break in South Africa.
Yumna’s siblings were released last year and are back in South Africa
It’s believed the siblings were detained under the security act of Saudi Arabia.
Yumna’s father Moulana Nazier Desai told Radio Islam even though his daughter has been detained for more than twenty months, she has not been charged by the Saudi authorities.
“We did request the minister of interior to allow representation either from the family’s side or a lawyer, but up to this stage they did not answer or give us positive feedback whether they accepted our request or not.”
Ml Desai says they are unclear as to exactly how the Saudi courts operate.
“What we do know that after she appears before the Qadi, then we will only come to know what are the charges against her or what have the Qadi got to say against Yumna. So at the stage we’re also in the dark.”
Ml. Desai, has thanked all South Africans for their support.
[Source Radio Islam: Faizel Patel]
