Amnesty International calls for Saudi Arabia to stop beheading ‘nearly two people a week’
Amnesty International is calling for authorities in Saudi Arabia to halt their practice of beheadings, which has escalated to an average of “nearly two people a week.”
Saudi Arabia beheading Rizana Nafeek screenshot YouTube video
The article details the death of Abdullah Fandi al-Shammari on 5 February 2013 who had originally been convicted of manslaughter, but was tried again on the charge of murder in proceedings that did not meet fair trial standards.
Al-Shammari was beheaded having spent over 30 years in prison.
In January Rizana Nafeek, a young nanny from Sri Lanka, was beheaded by sword as punishment for allegedly killing a baby in 2007 when she was believed to be just 17. Nafeek was offered limited access to a defense attorney and drew attention to the Arab kingdom’s medieval system of punishment, which includes cutting the hands off thieves, executing women accused of adultery, and flogging men accused of being gay.
“Despite a chorus of pleas for Saudi Arabian authorities to step in and reconsider Rizana Nafeek’s death sentence, they went ahead and executed her anyway, proving once more how woefully out of step they are with their international obligations regarding the use of the death penalty,” said Philip Luther, Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.
The high rates of execution in the Kingdom are attributable to the wide scope of application of the death penalty.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the state to kill the prisoner.
“We appeal to the authorities to impose a moratorium on executions, with a view to abolishing the death penalty, and join the worldwide trend towards abolition,” said Philip Luther.
In 2012 Amnesty International recorded the execution of at least 79 people, of whom 27 were foreign nationals. At least two death sentences have already been carried out this year, both foreign nationals.
Please do something about
stopping the beheadings
of Saudi Arabians
Please bring PEACE in
Saudi Arabia and get
SPECIAL authorities and
police to arrest the
bad guys with shields
and bulletproof vests
and tazers tazing the
bad guys and helping to
release the hostages
to STOP the beheadings
of innocent people in Saudi
Arabia and please send them
to a safer region and
please get authorities
policemen and doctors
to help Saudi Arabians
who are infected by
COVID-19.
[…] Amnesty International calls for Saudi Arabia to stop beheading 'nearly two … Amnesty International is calling for authorities in Saudi Arabia to halt their practice of beheadings, which has escalated to an average of “nearly two people a week.” Saudi Arabia beheading Rizana Nafeek screenshot YouTube video. The article details … Read more on The Global Dispatch […]