Mother claims son tortured in Saudi

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam says Australia must do all it can to help two WA brothers in Saudi Arabia.

The mother of Shayden Thorne, who is in a Saudi Arabian jail, with a picture of Shayden. Picture: Colin Murty Source: PerthNow

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says his department is working to secure the release of WA man Shayden Thorne, who is held in  a Saudi jail. Source: The Australian

Former Perth man Shayden Jamil Thorne, who is being held in custody awaiting trial in Saudi Arabia on suspected terrorism offences. Source: PerthNow

THE mother of a Perth man imprisoned in Saudi Arabia accused of terrorism-related activities says her son is being tortured as badly as a Guantanamo Bay inmate.

The woman said she only learnt overnight that Shayden Thorne, 25, was being tortured in the prison where he has been held for 18 months.

"According to the documents that I've received from the lawyer, I now know that he has been physically tortured,'' she told reporters in Perth today.

"He's been tied, hands and wrists behind his back, he's been punched in his genitals and he's passed out from that.

"His tying up has been for two weeks straight, as well as the sleep deprivation, bright lights and everything.

'It's like Guantanamo.''

The woman doubted Foreign Minister Bob Carr's claim the federal government had made 50 representations to Saudi Arabian authorities on Shayden's behalf and sent consular officials to visit him six times over the past 18 months.

"That's a stretch - not possible,'' she said.

"More like 15, not 50.''

She said Saudi authorities had linked her son to funding terrorism activities.

But not only did she not believe he was capable of supporting terrorists, he and his brother Junaid, 23, were both always short of money, like normal men of that age.

Junaid is now in hiding in Saudi Arabia after being arrested and detained for two months for protesting about his brother's imprisonment.

The men's mother said while it had been alleged Shayden had terrorist material on a laptop, the computer had been borrowed from a mosque or a friend to watch movies, and it had not been produced in the three court hearings that had been held so far.

A final hearing is expected late next month or early in June, when Shayden will learn his fate.

Responding to suggestions that Shayden could face the death penalty, she said, ``I haven't thought about that yet.''

"I guess he's going to be in prison for a long time.''

She feared the boys were "disadvantaged'' for being Aboriginal and Muslim - ironically in a Muslim country.

"Shame on them,'' she said of the Saudi government, ``that they're treating Muslims like that''.

The boys' aunt, Stephanie Riley, said the family was worried the Saudi secret service would make them "disappear''.

"We don't know what can happen,'' Ms Riley said.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr later disputed the claims of torture.

He said there had been more than 50 representations and six visits by embassy officials over 18 months to Mr Thorne, but his mother's claims were the first embassy staff had heard of torture complaints.

"On the contrary, I'm advised by our embassy that Mr Thorne has not informed them of any torture in prison - he's complained about a lack of sunlight, exercise and variations in food,'' he told Sky News.

"So, that's advice from my embassy. I have to rely on that ... that he has not made complaints to them in the contact they've had with him about torture.''

Senator Carr said he understood Mr Thorne's mother's distress.

"I just point out to her very politely, very respectfully, I do not have the capacity to bring them home,'' he said.

Carr defends department

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says the government is doing all it can to help the young West Australian.

Senator Carr has defended his department against claims it's done nothing to help Thorne, pointing to more than 50 representations and six visits by embassy officials over 18 months.

``We do our best for Australians who are in trouble overseas,'' he told reporters in Sydney.

``But if you're in trouble overseas, you're in trouble in a different jurisdiction, and Australian law does not apply.

``Shayden Thorne has chosen to live in Saudi Arabia. He's lived there for 12 years and the laws of Saudi Arabia apply to him.''

Thorne has been in custody since November 2011. His younger brother Junaid is in hiding in the country, apparently wanted by authorities for questioning after having previously been detained for two months.

The boys are Aboriginal and are Australian citizens but moved to Saudi Arabia with their father.

Thorne's mother,  from the south-eastern Perth suburb of Thornlie, who has asked not to be named, says her boys are innocent.

She says authorities found terrorist material on a laptop Shayden borrowed from a mosque but he knew nothing about it.

She raised his case in the media after becoming frustrated with the lack of progress on Shayden's case.

She claims Shayden has been tortured by Saudi authorities in the prison outside the capital Riyadh. She says both her boys want to come back to Perth.

The Thornlie woman described her 23 and 25 year-old sons as normal young boys.

"Carefree and easy going. I know they don't drink, they don't smoke or anything like that and they are into fitness and hanging out with their friends - that kind of stuff," she told Sky News in Perth.
 
"I couldn't travel over to Saudi Arabia even if I wanted to because I don't have the funds to do that."

"The day before yesterday Junaid contacted me and voiced his concerns about what was going to happen when they caught him."

She said Junaid was more confident now that they have gone to the media and he hopes something can now be done to help them.

She also questioned the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's handling of the case.

``I just think that they're not doing as much as what they should be doing to get my boys home.''

Senator Carr said he sympathised with the family but said the government was limited in what it could do.``We can't run a trial, we can't mount their defence for them,'' he said, adding he was concerned about the torture allegations.

Senator Carr again rejected calls for a new levy to help fund DFAT's consular activities.

Should know fate by June

The man's mother said Shayden should learn his fate by June.
 

She spoke with Shayden's lawyer on Wednesday night and was advised he should learn his fate in coming weeks.

``He told me that he's just spoken to the judge and the judge is going to convene the last hearing some time in May or June,'' she told 6PR's Fairfax radio today.

``And he did tell me that even after this hearing, if he is found innocent, that they are still going to keep him in prison for a month or two afterwards because that's just how slow the government are over there with the paperwork and everything.''

She said the lawyer advised her to ``put pressure on the government ... because he can come home sooner than that''.

Her other son Junaid is in hiding in Saudi Arabia because of fears he too will be arrested.

While Shayden came to the attention of authorities in late 2011, Junaid kept that information from his mother for some time, worried about the shock it would cause her.

She said she decided to inform the media on Wednesday as that was the best way to apply pressure in Saudi Arabia.

``Saudi authorities don't work well under pressure and as long we keep applying the pressure, he (the lawyer) said the boys will come home soon because there is no case.''

Junaid, 23, was previously detained for two months after taking part in a protest demanding Shayden's release.

Authorities have taken his passport and told him they want to speak with him again, but haven't said why.

``He's just afraid that they're going to arrest him again,'' his mother said.

``He doesn't want to go back to that prison.''

She insisted both sons were innocent and said there was "no evidence'' to back up the charges Shayden faced.

They moved to Saudi Arabia 18 years ago when their Muslim father, who is now divorced from their mother, was offered a job there.

Both sons studied finance at university, but Shayden had quit in the third year and started working, while Junaid had his name struck off the graduation list and now can't study.

They are Aboriginal, Australian citizens and had western tastes, but firstly identified as Muslims, she said.

They want to come back to Perth, where their mother returned after living in Saudi Arabia for about a year.

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