The husband of the wife speaks out in her defense because he is her voice in this society:
"From the outset, my wife was dealt with as a guilty person who committed a crime," he said. "She was not given any chance to prove her innocence or describe how she was a victim of multiple brutal rapes."(via)
He said his wife is "a quiet, simple person who does not bother anyone," and too fragile to speak about the case. As her guardian, under Saudi law, he is standing up for her publicly.
[...]
"Since the attack, she's been suffering from severe depression."
The events ended her pursuit of an education beyond high school, he said. "Her situation keeps changing from bad to worse. You could say she's a crushed human being.
[...]
"We were shocked when the judgment changed and her sentence was doubled," the husband said, blaming the decision on a judge pursuing "a personal vendetta."
"We were looking for pardon; instead she got double the whipping and more jail time.
"If this sentence is based on the law then I would've welcomed it," he said. "But it is harsh and the Saudi society I know and belong to is more sympathetic than that. I do not expect such harshness from Saudis, but rather compassion and support of the victim and her rights.
[...]
Despite the treatment given his wife by the Saudi judicial system, he believes his society respects human rights and he is optimistic about the future.
"Through this case, as a citizen and stemming from my sense of security and patriotism, I believe in the future... And I have faith and trust in the system," he said.
I don't know why he would think the society respected human rights since it has given out lashes for dancing and drinking, to an Indonesian maid who was tortured by her sponsors, and a restaurant owner who hired women.
