State Dept. Won’t Pursue Saudi Student Who Fled Oregon Manslaughter Charges
DEPRESSING
Huseyin Aldemir/Reuters
A Saudi student studying in the U.S. may never face his manslaughter charge in Oregon after allegedly killing a teenager in a hit-and-run crash in 2016, The Oregonian reports. In a letter to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) released Monday night, the State Department claimed its law-enforcement options were “limited” after Abdulrahman Sameeer Noorah reportedly fled to Saudi Arabia after the kingdom paid his $100,000 bail. “The United States and Saudi Arabia do not have a bilateral extradition treaty, and Saudi Arabia does not extradite its nationals to the United States... Therefore, the law enforcement options available are limited,” wrote Mary Elizabeth Taylor, the State Department's assistant secretary of legislative affairs. “At this point, the State Department has no concrete, credible evidence as to how Mr. Noorah effected his escape.” Noorah was reportedly 21-years-old when he allegedly hit 15-year-old Fallon Smart, who died in the incident. He allegedly posted bail only to fly to Saudi Arabia on a private plane and fake passport after U.S. authorities had seized his passport.