Saudi Arabian family sues genie

MEDINA, Saudi Arabia, July 13 (UPI) -- A family in Saudi Arabia has filed a lawsuit alleging theft and harassment on the part of a malevolent genie.

Officials with the Islamic Shariah court said the family alleges a genie has been leaving them threatening voice mail messages, stealing their cell phones and throwing rocks at them outside their home, CNN reported Monday.

"We have to verify the truthfulness of this case despite the difficulty of doing so," court head Sheik Amr al-Salmi, told the al-Watan newspaper. "What makes this case and complaint more interesting is that it wasn't filed by just one person. Every member of the family is part of this case."

The head of the family, who asked not to be named, said the family has occupied their home on the outskirts of Medina for 15 years and first became aware of the genie about two years ago.

"We began hearing strange noises," he said. "In the beginning, we didn't take it seriously, but after that, stranger things started happening and the children got really scared when the genie began throwing stones."

The family has been given temporary lodgings by a local charity while the court investigates the allegations.