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Biden Has 65 Days Left in Office. Here’s What He Can Do on Criminal Justice.

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Saudi Arabia: fear of imminent executions

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SAUDI ARABIA - Sheikh Mastan (alias Mohammed Salim) (m), aged 30, married with one child
Hamza Abu Bakir (m), aged 47, married with four children

Indian nationals Sheikh Mastan and Hamza Abu Bakir have exhausted all possible appeals against their death sentences. The sentences are now awaiting the approval of the Supreme Judicial Council, which is headed by the King. If the sentences are approved, the two men could be executed within days.

Sheikh Mastan and Hamza Abu Bakir are currently detained in al-Dammam Prison in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. They were arrested in January 2004 on charges of drug possession. In June 2006, they were convicted and sentenced to death by a court in al-Dammam. However, they had no legal representation throughout the judicial process. Very little is known about their trial except that their convictions and sentences are said to have been upheld on appeal.

At least 89 people have been executed so far this year. In 2007 the authorities executed at least 158 people.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Saudi Arabia applies the death penalty for a wide range of offenses. Court proceedings fall far short of international standards for fair trials. Defendants are rarely allowed formal representation by a lawyer, and in many cases are not informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them. They may be convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under duress or deception. Prisoners under sentence of death may be executed without a scheduled date for execution being made known to the prisoner or their families

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Source: Amnesty International
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