The Saudi lawyer representing a woman gang-raped and sentenced to 200 lashes faces a disciplinary hearing for insulting the Supreme Judicial Council.

Abdul Rahman al-Lahem faced a disciplinary hearing Wednesday for "insulting the Supreme Judicial Council and disobeying the rules and regulations" of the court, CNN reports.

Al-Lahem represented a victim of gang-rape sentenced to 200 lashes and a six-month prison term for violating Islamic law by being alone with an unrelated man before the rape. The Saudi courts revoked al-Lahem's license to practice law for speaking out against the sentence.

Al-Lahem said the media coverage and his role in the case invoked a harsh response, including calls for his head.

"I wish that those who oppose me could engage in a direct dialogue instead of calling for violence. Unfortunately, they are still stuck in a culture of closed-mindedness," al-Lahem told CNN.

Al-Lahem said the chief judge was among those whose opinions and sense of authority are outdated.

"He's used to lawyers who accept everything he says without questioning. I told him, 'You misunderstood the law, your honor' and he couldn't take that," he said.  // Copyright 2007 by United Press International



Publication date: 05 December 2007   

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