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In September 2008, Prince Sattam allegedly kidnapped Aya when Cohen-Ahnine visited [[Saudi Arabia]] with her.<ref name=albawaba26>{{cite news|title=The Saudi Prince and the death of his French Jewish ex-lover|url=http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/saudi-prince-candice-cohen-ahnine-439547|accessdate=24 September 2012|newspaper=Albawaba|date=26 August 2012}}</ref> Cohen-Ahnine said that she was accused by the Saudi authorities of being a [[Muslim]] who converted to [[Judaism]], which is a capital crime in Saudi Arabia, and was held in the prince's palace. However, she managed to escape when a maid left her door open and fled to the French embassy,<ref name="Telegraph"/><ref name="BBC death"/> and subsequently returned to France.<ref name="JTA"/> Since then, Aya has been living in a palace in [[Riyadh]], while [[French Foreign Ministry|France's Foreign Ministry]] and then French President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]<ref name="Telegraph"/> attempted to bring Aya back to France.<ref name="Israel Hayom"/> Aya was only able to speak occasionally with her mother by phone.<ref name="JTA"/>
In September 2008, Prince Sattam allegedly kidnapped Aya when Cohen-Ahnine visited [[Saudi Arabia]] with her.<ref name=albawaba26>{{cite news|title=The Saudi Prince and the death of his French Jewish ex-lover|url=http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/saudi-prince-candice-cohen-ahnine-439547|accessdate=24 September 2012|newspaper=Albawaba|date=26 August 2012}}</ref> Cohen-Ahnine said that she was accused by the Saudi authorities of being a [[Muslim]] who converted to [[Judaism]], which is a capital crime in Saudi Arabia, and was held in the prince's palace. However, she managed to escape when a maid left her door open and fled to the French embassy,<ref name="Telegraph"/><ref name="BBC death"/> and subsequently returned to France.<ref name="JTA"/> Since then, Aya has been living in a palace in [[Riyadh]], while [[French Foreign Ministry|France's Foreign Ministry]] and then French President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]<ref name="Telegraph"/> attempted to bring Aya back to France.<ref name="Israel Hayom"/> Aya was only able to speak occasionally with her mother by phone.<ref name="JTA"/>


However, Prince Sattam denied that he kidnapped Aya or Cohen-Ahnine, saying that Cohen-Ahnine was allowed to "come and go as she pleased" and that she had converted to [[Islam]] and married Prince al-Saud under Islamic law. The prince said that the terms of the divorce, which were put through courts in [[Lebanon]] and [[Saudi Arabia]], required that the parents share custody of the child. The prince also said that a protocol was created which offered Cohen-Ahnine a house (all expenses paid) and access to Aya, and the possibility of taking Aya on vacation for 1.5 months a year. According to Prince Sattam, Cohen-Ahnine said to give her 2 million euros and he could take Aya, but he refused, saying that he would not bargain over his child.<ref name="Telegraph"/>
However, Prince Sattam denied that he kidnapped Aya or Cohen-Ahnine, saying that Cohen-Ahnine was allowed to "come and go as she pleased" and that she had converted to [[Islam]] and married Prince al-Saud under Islamic law. The prince said that the terms of the divorce, which were put through courts in [[Lebanon]] and [[Saudi Arabia]], required that the parents share custody of the child. The prince also said that a protocol was created which offered Cohen-Ahnine a house (all expenses paid) and access to Aya, and the possibility of taking Aya on vacation for 1.5 months a year.<ref name="Telegraph"/>


Cohen-Ahnine was involved in diplomatic attempts to receive custody of Aya, and wrote a book about her struggle, entitled ''Give My Daughter Back!''.<ref name="Israel Hayom"/> Cohen-Ahnine also said that she saw Facebook pictures of Aya in a [[niqab]] and playing with Prince Sattam's firearms, and became concerned over her daughter.<ref name="Telegraph"/>
Cohen-Ahnine was involved in diplomatic attempts to receive custody of Aya, and wrote a book about her struggle, entitled ''Give My Daughter Back!''.<ref name="Israel Hayom"/> Cohen-Ahnine also said that she saw Facebook pictures of Aya in a [[niqab]] and playing with Prince Sattam's firearms, and became concerned over her daughter.<ref name="Telegraph"/>

Revision as of 15:03, 10 October 2012

Candice Cohen-Ahnine
Bornc. 1980
Died16 August 2012
Paris
NationalityFrench
ChildrenAya Al Saud

Candice Cohen-Ahnine (c. 1980-16 August 2012) was a French-Jewish mother involved in a legal battle with Saudi Prince Sattam Al Saud over custody for her child Aya, which she said was kidnapped from her. In January 2012, a French court ruled that the prince must hand over the child to Cohen-Ahnine, and the prince faced an international arrest warrant. On 16 August 2012, Cohen-Ahnine fell to her death from a Paris window under mysterious circumstances, days after she told her family that she did not feel safe.

Custody battle

Background

In 1998, Cohen-Ahnine met Saudi Prince Sattam bin Khalid bin Nasser Al Saud who is a grandson of Prince Nasser in London at a nightclub while Cohen-Ahnine was vacationing in London[1][2] when she was 18 years old.[3] In November 2001, their daughter, Aya, was born.[4] The relationship between Cohen-Ahnine and Prince continued, despite their differences in religion and nationality[3] until Prince Sattam announced in 2006 that he was obligated to marry a cousin, but that Cohen-Ahnine could remain as a second wife. Cohen-Ahnine, however, refused to become a second wife, and the two parted ways.[5]

In September 2008, Prince Sattam allegedly kidnapped Aya when Cohen-Ahnine visited Saudi Arabia with her.[6] Cohen-Ahnine said that she was accused by the Saudi authorities of being a Muslim who converted to Judaism, which is a capital crime in Saudi Arabia, and was held in the prince's palace. However, she managed to escape when a maid left her door open and fled to the French embassy,[5][7] and subsequently returned to France.[3] Since then, Aya has been living in a palace in Riyadh, while France's Foreign Ministry and then French President Nicolas Sarkozy[5] attempted to bring Aya back to France.[1] Aya was only able to speak occasionally with her mother by phone.[3]

However, Prince Sattam denied that he kidnapped Aya or Cohen-Ahnine, saying that Cohen-Ahnine was allowed to "come and go as she pleased" and that she had converted to Islam and married Prince al-Saud under Islamic law. The prince said that the terms of the divorce, which were put through courts in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, required that the parents share custody of the child. The prince also said that a protocol was created which offered Cohen-Ahnine a house (all expenses paid) and access to Aya, and the possibility of taking Aya on vacation for 1.5 months a year.[5]

Cohen-Ahnine was involved in diplomatic attempts to receive custody of Aya, and wrote a book about her struggle, entitled Give My Daughter Back!.[1] Cohen-Ahnine also said that she saw Facebook pictures of Aya in a niqab and playing with Prince Sattam's firearms, and became concerned over her daughter.[5]

Court verdict

In January 2012, a Paris criminal court ordered Prince al-Saud to hand over custody of Aya to Cohen-Ahnine, and also to provide child support of €10,000 (£8,300) each month.[5] Cohen-Ahnine said that the ruling was a "great victory for me and vindicates everything I have said... but I’m still very worried for my child’s future." Cohen-Ahnine's lawyer said, "It’s a first step in a long journey. Aya must be returned to her mother so that she can live in France, where she has always lived."[5]

Prince Sattam said that he would challenge the decision and send lawyers to France, and said that France does not have the right to take her back. The prince said, "She is a Saudi citizen and a princess. They cannot oblige a princess to leave this country."[5] The prince also said, "If need be, I’ll go like [Osama] bin Laden and hide in the mountains with Aya."[1] As a result of the court ruling, Prince Sattam faced an international arrest warrant for ignoring the verdict.[5]

Death

Following the court ruling, Cohen-Ahnine prepared to leave for Riyadh in September 2012 to visit Aya.[7][8][9] However, on 16 August, Cohen-Ahnine was killed when she fell to her death from a window in Paris.[4][10][11] It is unclear whether the death was an accident or was a murder, but suicide has been ruled out.[10][12]

A few days prior to her death, Cohen-Ahnine told relatives that she felt threatened, and French police were reportedly investigating a theory that Cohen-Ahnine was trying to escape from her flat, "as if she was escaping something dangerous," and fell out of the window.[12] According to the London Evening Standard, investigations conducted by the Paris prosecutor suggested that she was attempting to get into a neighboring apartment by climbing through the window.[13][14]

Cohen-Ahnine's laywer said that the death appeared to be "some sort of accident" and did not know whether it was malicious, but did say that "what I can tell you is that it wasn't a suicide," and Cohen-Ahnine was excited to see her daughter.[8] Jean-Claude Elfassi, a co-author of Cohen-Ahnine's book, said, "I can only show my disgust at the slowness of the investigating judge in charge of her case, who after three years of investigating never delivered an arrest warrant for Prince Sattam al-Saud."[8]

On 21 August, the police announced that the death of Candice Cohen-Ahnine was an accident. A witness confirmed seeing her trying to move from one window to another. The police suspect that she was under antidepressant medication; toxicology results are expected.[15].

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Jewish mother wins custody battle against Saudi royal prince". Israel Hayom. 1 February 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  2. ^ "Une mère se bat pour récupérer sa petite princesse saoudienne". Lextimes. 28 January 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d "Jewish mother wins a round in custody battle with Saudi prince". Jewish Telegraph Agency. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b Lauter, Devorah (19 August 2012). "French mother in custody battle with Saudi prince falls to her death". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Samuel, Henry (31 January 2012). "French Jewish mother wins custody battle against Saudi prince". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  6. ^ "The Saudi Prince and the death of his French Jewish ex-lover". Albawaba. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  7. ^ a b "French probe death of mother in Saudi custody battle". BBC. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  8. ^ a b c Zilberstein, Lior (20 August 2012). "Tragic end for Jewish woman in custody battle with Saudi prince". Yedioth Ahronot. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  9. ^ Tepper, Greg (20 August 2012). "Saudi prince's ex-Jewish wife dies". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  10. ^ a b "French-Jewish mother in custody battle dies in fall". 20 August 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  11. ^ "Death of a saudi prince's woman". Independent. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  12. ^ a b Allen, Peter; Preece, Rob (20 August 2012). "Mother who won child custody battle against Saudi prince plunges to her death from luxury Paris apartment just days after telling relatives she felt 'threatened'". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 22 August 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Mother in custody battle with Saudi prince complained of 'threats' before she fell to her death". London Evening Standard. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  14. ^ "Candice Cohen-Ahnine Dead: French Mother In Custody Battle With Saudi Arabian Prince Falls To Her Death". The Huffington Post. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  15. ^ Template:Ar"The death of the writer of "Give My Daughter Back!" in Paris was probably due to an accident". France 24. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.