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| Public execution in Saudi Arabia |
Saudi Arabia has executed at least 153 people this year, nearing last
year's record high of 158, according to figures collated by human rights
organization Reprieve.
Among those executed this year were at least 4 juveniles who were killed
as part of a mass execution of 47 people in January this year. One of
them, Ali al-Ribh, was arrested in school, tortured into a false
‘confession’ to protest-related charges, and executed.
The high number of executions raises fresh concerns for the fate of
three other juveniles who have been sentenced to death – Ali al-Nimr,
Dawood al-Marhoon
and Abdullah al Zaher. The trio were arrested as children in the wake
of protests, and tortured into ‘confessions’. They could be executed at
any time, without notification to their families.
It has also emerged the juveniles continue to be mistreated on death
row. According to reports, prison guards recently beat Dawood and
threatened him with solitary confinement after he submitted a complaint
about a previous instance of abuse. The health of the three juveniles is
said to be suffering amid poor prison conditions.
Some 47 of those who were executed this year were tried in the country’s
secretive ‘Specialized Criminal Court’. Reprieve has raised concerns
that the court is routinely used to try people who were arrested in
relation to political protests, including the three juveniles, and a
disabled young man named Munir Adam. Hearings often take place without a
lawyer, and forced ‘confessions’ extracted under torture are frequently
admitted as evidence.
According to the figures, 23 of those executed this year were arrested
for drug offences – of these, 14 were foreign nationals. Previous
research
by Reprieve has found that many of those held on Saudi Arabia’s death
row for drug-related offences are trafficking victims, who were forced
to carry drugs into the Gulf from overseas.
The figures are released as Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood meets with King Salman in Riyadh. Reprieve has
written
to Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson,
asking them to seek a commutation of the death sentences handed to
juveniles and political protestors.
Mrs May said in a
speech
to the Gulf Cooperation Council earlier this month that the UK would
help Gulf countries to “reform” and to “embed international norms.”
However, she reportedly failed to raise individual cases during a
meeting with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.
Commenting, Maya Foa, a director at Reprieve, said:
“Saudi Arabia’s 2016 execution toll is fast approaching last year’s
shocking high, with some 153 prisoners killed. Among those executed were
political protestors, people arrested for alleged drug offences,
prisoners who were tortured into ‘confessions’, and juveniles.
Meanwhile, Dawood al-Marhoon, who was arrested as a child and who
languishes on death row, is being subjected to threats and beatings.
These appalling abuses give the lie to the Prime Minister’s claim that
the UK’s engagement with Saudi Arabia promotes ‘reform’. The Government
must urgently use its ever-closer relationship with Saudi Arabia to
secure genuine change – this includes the release of juveniles facing
the death penalty, like Dawood.”
The total number of executions in 2016 so far is estimated at 153. In
2015, the figure was 158; while in 2014 the total number of executions
was estimated at 87. A breakdown of Reprieve's figures is available on
request.
Source: Reprieve, December 19, 2016. Reprieve is an international human rights organization.
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