UK/SAUDI ARABIA: 2 BRITISH NURSES CHARGED WITH MURDER

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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English/Nat Two British nurses in Saudi Arabia were formally charged with murder Tuesday - and could face public beheading. But British officials say they've made progress with Saudi authorities over the case - and they're playing down talk of a major diplomatic confrontation. A full-scale crisis between Riyadh and London was still looming late Tuesday - but the British embassy here is talking of a breakthrough. A British diplomat finally succeeded in visiting the nurses - 41 year old Deborah Parry and 31 year old Lucille McLauchlan - in their Dhahran prison cell. The couple, arrested five days ago, were charged Tuesday with the murder of Australian nurse Yvonne Gilford, aged 55. All three worked at the King Fahd military medical complex in Dhahran. No motive has yet been established. The deputy head of the British mission in Riyadh, William Patey, told APTV the nurses appeared to be in good condition: SOUNDBITE: "One of them was allowed to speak to her parents in the UK, and she told them she was being well treated, so that is the most authentic information we have.' Q. "Given that the Saudi punishment for murder is beheading, this is a rather tricky diplomatic problem for Britain, isn't it?' A. 'It's not automatic. There's an assumption that all people found guilty of murder are beheaded, but we must remember we mustn't get ahead of ourselves here. There's no reason to be concerned at this stage.'" SUPER CAPTION: William Patey, UK deputy ambassador Britain is one of Saudi Arabia's most important trading partners. Contracts worth billions of dollars could be in jeopardy if the nurses were to be found guilty - and executed. This man knows more about Saudi justice than most people - he's experienced the rough side of it as a dissident jailed in his own country. Now in Britain, Muhammad al- Massari says the nurses face trial by Islamic law. And their fate, if found guilty, would depend on the victim's family: SOUNDBITE: "They can insist on full retribution - that's execution. They can be happy with material reimbursement - with money. Or they can forgive altogether. So they have three choices. So it's not that they're facing public execution. That's only a possibility - one of three.'" SUPER CAPTION: Muhammad al-Massari, exiled Saudi dissident But this will do little to ease the concern of the nurses' families back in Britain - while pressure groups warn that Saudi Arabia has one of the worst human rights records in the world. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/cbd32c6330def00f0242e5bc6c36c7b5 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork