Amid growing international pressure and harsh criticism, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has reportedly pardoned the 19-year-old girl who was gang raped and then sentenced to six months in prison and 200 lashes, a local newspaper informed on Monday.

The official announcement was made by the Saudi Justice Minister Abdullah bin Muhammed al-Sheik, who spoke to the al-Jazirah newspaper and made public the King’s decision to pardon the rape victim. He added that the King’s decision does not mean he doubts the country's judges who had agreed to punish the unfortunate girl. The Saudi Justice Minister said the King acted in the “interests of the people.''

“The king always looks into alleviating the suffering of the citizens when he becomes sure that these verdicts will leave psychological effects on the convicted people, though he is convinced and sure that the verdicts were fair,'' said al-Sheik for the al-Jazirah newspaper.

The case has sparked outrage on an international scale.

The Shi'ite girl was sentenced in late November after she was accused of being in public with a man not related to her. The girl and her accompanying person were spotted by several men who kidnapped and raped both of them.

The girl’s original sentence was increased with 90 lashes because she had spoken to the media. According to the country’s Justice Ministry, the 19-year-old had confessed to having an extramarital affair last year, thus breaking the Islamic sharia law which says that women are forbidden to appear in public in the company of men other than their male relatives.

The rappers - seven men – were convicted of raping the woman and her male companion and received sentences from two to nine years in jail.

The incident occurred in the city of Qatif in March 2006. Then the woman was 18 and engaged to be married.