British Muslim, 21, kept in a cage in Saudi Arabia by her DAD since she was 16 because he disapproved of her Western lifestyle
Amina Al-Jeffery 'physically abused and deprived of food', court hears
A SCHOOLGIRL was kept prisoner in a cage by her dad for four years for her un-Islamic behaviour, a court heard.
Amina Al-Jeffery was born in Swansea but taken to Saudi Arabia aged 16 because her father, Mohammed Al-Jeffery, did not agree with her western lifestyle.
Now 21, she is kept in a cage when her father leaves the home in Jeddah, is physically abused, deprived of food and water and will be forced to marry, the High Court was told.
The Foreign Office is trying to bring Amina home and said: “steps need to be taken to ensure Amina is returned to the UK where her safety can be guaranteed”.
According to Saudi authorities do not recognise her British citizenship.
Mr Al-Jeffery, 62, has been given state funding from the Saudi government to fight the High Court's order to return her to the Britain.
The father of nine moved to Swansea before Amina was born.
The family claimed benefits and his children were educated at British schools and unis.
Henry Setright, QC, representing Amina, said that her father had taken her to Saudi Arabia because he disapproved of her “relationships and conduct”.
He said her father thought she was “someone he has a duty to control, including her freedom of movement”.
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Mr Al-Jeffery, who works at the King Abdulaziz University, was ordered by the High Court to take his daughter to the British consulate in Jeddah to meet her lawyers.
But he refused to so unless the Foreign Office vowed not to grant her “sanctuary”.
Amina had been allowed to attend an earlier meeting under the supervision of her father’s employees.
She managed to slip a note under the table to a member of embassy staff allegedly saying she feared for her future.
Marcus Scott-Manderson, QC, representing Mr Al-Jeffery said he “could not bring himself” to obey the court order.
Anne-Marie Hutchinson, a British lawyer, said she had spoken to Miss Al-Jeffery when she briefly escaped from her father's home.
Ms Hutchinson, a member of the international Academy of Family Lawyers, said: “She is a normal Welsh girl and still has her Welsh accent.
“She wants to return home so she can have control of her own life and make her own choices.”
Mr Justice Holman said that the jurisdiction of the British courts was not clear because Amina was now an adult with dual Saudi and UK citizenship.
He said: “We have to be careful about asserting the supremacy our cultural standards.”
The hearing continues.
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