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November 13, 2023

**TO: Members of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness**

**House Committee on Government Reform**

**FROM: Dan Burton, Chairman**

> **SUBJECT: Subcommittee Hearing, entitled *"International Child
> Abduction: The Absence of Rights of American Citizens in Saudi
> Arabia"***

The Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness will hold an oversight
hearing on **[Wednesday, July 9, 2003, in Room 2154 of the Rayburn House
Office Building at 2:00p.m.]{.underline}**

# BACKGROUND 

During the 107^th^ Congress, the House Committee on Government Reform,
led by former Chairman Dan Burton, initiated an investigation into cases
whereby American citizens were taken against their will by a
non-custodial parent and kidnapped to Saudi Arabia. That investigation
yielded a number of Committee oversight hearings and legislative
proposals, as well as a Congressional Delegation to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
in August of 2002. The Subcommittee on Human Rights & Wellness has
continued this investigation.

There are several facts regarding Saudi Arabian law and culture that
makes international child abduction cases noteworthy. First, Saudi law
gives Saudi men extraordinary power their wives and children. As a
result, the wife or child of a Saudi man may not leave Saudi Arabia
without his written permission. There have been cases in which adult
female American citizens have been unable to leave Saudi Arabia because
they have not been able to obtain the permission of their male guardian,
regardless of their nationality or citizenship. Second, Saudi Arabia is
not a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of
International Child Abduction, (which put into place general guidelines
regarding how to handle international child abduction and international
custody disputes) and accordingly, there are no legal standards
governing the return of kidnapped children from Saudi Arabia.

These facts illustrate that international child abduction cases in Saudi
Arabia can only be resolved through negotiations between the American
parent and/or the United States government, and with the Saudi abductor
and/or the Saudi government. Because of the lack of protection provided
by the legal system in Saudi Arabia, Americans kidnapped to that country
are deprived of many of the rights that they would be protected by in
the United States, such as women's rights and religious freedom, in
addition to their inability to escape their unlawful imprisonment.

Unfortunately, kidnappings of American citizens to Saudi Arabia are not
rare. According to information given to the Subcommittee by the
Department of State, 42 recent cases of American citizens abducted to
Saudi Arabia were noted, although Americans living in Saudi Arabia
informed the Congressional Delegation, in August of 2002, that they
believe there are hundreds of such cases, many of which go unreported
due to fear of retaliation. In addition, there have been situations in
the past when abducted American children and their custodial parents
have sought sanctuary in United States Consulates and

Embassies and were denied assistance, which has also deterred the safe
return of these children to the United States.

Because of the international attention that has been given to the issue
of international child abduction, as a result of the Committee hearings,
the United States Department of State, as well as members of the royal
family in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have pledged their assistance in
resolving these kidnapping cases. The Subcommittee would like to learn
about any progress that has been made since the conclusion of the last
hearing on this subject.

The Subcommittee will hear testimony from Ms. Sarah Saga, an American
citizen who was abducted to Saudi Arabia by her father when she was 6
years old. Last month, Ms. Saga fled with her children (Ibrahim, 5 and
Hanin, 3) to the United States consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after
being held against her will for the last 19 years. Ms. Saga will talk
about her experiences as an abducted American citizen in Saudi Arabia,
as well as the steps that she took in order to be able to return to the
United States, including any assistance that she received from the
American consulate and the lack of cooperation from the Saudi
government. Ms. Saga will be accompanied by her mother, Ms. Debbie
Dornier, who will also give testimony to the Subcommittee.

The Subcommittee will also hear testimony from Ms. Maura Harty,
Assistant Secretary of State - Consular Affairs, who will discuss
Department of State initiatives to help alleviate the problem of
international child abductions. Also, the Subcommittee has invited
representatives from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to testify on the
measures that the Saudi government has taken to assist the United States
in the safe return of American citizens held against their will in Saudi
Arabia.

In addition, a representative from the Department of Homeland Security
has been asked to testify regarding the new entry and exit measures that
will be implemented in the United States, which may be useful in the
prevention of international child abductions.

[WITNESSES:\
]{.underline}Below are the witnesses currently slated to appear before
the Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness:

**[PANEL ONE:]{.underline}**

-   Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary of State, Consular Affairs, U.S.
    Department of State

-   Representative, US VISIT Program, U.S. Department of Homeland
    Security

### PANEL TWO:

-   Ms. Sarah Saga, American citizen abducted to Saudi Arabia in 1985

-   Ms. Debbie Dornier, Mother of Sarah Saga

**[STAFF CONTACT:]{.underline}**

-   Mindi Walker, Professional Staff Member / Subcommittee Clerk