Lawyer ready to visit Saudi Arabia to interview 'imprisoned' daughter

A British lawyer is prepared to travel to Saudi Arabia for a face-to-face meeting with a young woman who claimed she was being imprisoned by her father.

The move has been given the backing of a High Court judge in London in the case of 21-year-old Amina Al-Jeffery, who grew up in Swansea.

Mr Justice Holman said he believed that a visit by Miss Al-Jeffery's solicitor Anne-Marie Hutchinson "is the only way to get to the bottom of this matter".

Miss Al-Jeffery, who has dual British and Saudi Arabian nationality, had complained that her father locked her up in his flat in Jeddah because she had "kissed a guy".

She had described herself as being ''locked in a cage''. Her father, Saudi academic Mohammed Al-Jeffery, disputed her allegations and said he was trying to protect her.

On August 3 Mr Justice Holman said her father had to "permit and facilitate" his daughter's return to England or Wales by September 11.

She has not returned and a further hearing was held before the judge on Tuesday when he was given an update on the current situation.

He was told that Miss Hutchinson, a partner at London law firm Dawson Cornwell, was prepared to make the trip to Saudi Arabia to talk to Miss Al-Jeffery at a private meeting about her wishes, and to ensure "as best she can that any decisions taken by Amina are informed".

The judge said Miss Hutchinson was concerned, on the basis of all of the material in her possession, that Miss Al-Jeffery's position appeared to be "equivocal", and the solicitor "wishes to make further inquiries".

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