TAIF – Eleven-year-old Abeer is freed from her 75-year-old husband.
The General Court handed Abeer over to her mother on Monday, six months after she had petitioned the court.
The ruling also gave the mother custody of Abeer’s younger sister.
Abeer’s father, 70, had married her off to the 75-year-old man in an arranged exchange of daughters for wedlock.
The father pleaded to be exempted from paying alimony and for having a say in choosing the future husbands of his daughters.
Abeer has been staying at the Social Protection House in Taif since Aug. 08.
“It was an illegal marriage of a minor against her will,” the mother said.
The court is scheduled to look Tuesday into the second part of the case, involving 16-year-old girl Shaikha, who was married her off to Abeer’s father as part of the exchange deal.
“The two fathers received SR50,000 and SR45,000 as dowry for the exchange marriage deal,” the marriage contractor said.
This type of marriage, known as “Shighar” marriage, dates back to pre-Islamic times when it was common to marry off a sister or daughter in return for marriage of the sister or daughter of the other party.
The National Human Rights Commission has condemned marriage of minor girls, which has surfaced as of late in Saudi Arabia. – Okaz/ SG