THE Scot who claims he was tortured into confessing to a terrorist bombing in Riyadh is considering taking legal action against the Saudi Arabian government. Sandy Mitchell, 47, from Kirkintilloch, was one of six Britons freed from prison in Saudi Arabia last week.
It emerged yesterday that Prince Charles used his links with the Saudi royal family to help pave the way for the men’s release.
Mr Mitchell, who has maintained his innocence, has told friends he is considering suing the Saudi government over his
treatment.
David Fyfe, who has known Mr Mitchell for 33 years, spoke to him on Friday night, and believes his friend will bounce back from the ordeal.
He said: "Before his ordeal you would describe him as the sort of man who could survive anything, and when I spoke to him on Friday he still had not completely lost his sense of humour.
"At the moment he will be concentrating on just getting back to normality, and we are hoping that once he finishes medical checks and interviews he will come up to Scotland to visit us. He is someone who has lived abroad for so long that he is bound to do so again soon. I am sure that he will be sitting down and considering his options with regard to legal action against the Saudi authorities. They certainly have a case to answer."
But Mr Mitchell was warned by a Briton who went through a similar ordeal that seeking a legal solution with the Saudi government was fraught with difficulty.
Ron Jones, a Briton who was kept in a Saudi detention centre for 67 days in 2001 and claimed he was tortured into confessing to a terrorist bombing in Riyadh, was told earlier this year he could not sue the Saudi government for £2 million.
A senior High Court official blocked accountant Ron Jones’s claim on the ground of "state immunity", but he was given leave to appeal in his action.
Mr Jones said: "When I first tried to get a lawyer, London city firms were reluctant to take my case because of a conflict of interests with any clients in Saudi Arabia they had. Eventually we found someone with a passion for human rights and although we lost the first round of our battle we are encouraged by the fact that we have been granted leave to appeal. I had assumed the Foreign Office would be acting on my behalf but they told me that I needed to get legal representation.
"At the moment legal action will be far from his [Mitchell’s] thoughts. After their ordeal all the men will be trying to get back a sense of trust even among friends and family which has been shattered by what they went through. I would be happy to offer any help and support should they need it."
St James’s Palace also sought to play down the role Prince Charles may have played in securing the men’s release. A spokesman said: "Like a lot of people the Prince was anxious to see the men released but the pivotal role was played by diplomats and the families of the men."
