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Japan | Hakamada found religion, but then felt under attack by ‘the devil’

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Editor's note: This is the last in a four-part series on letters that Iwao Hakamada wrote while on death row. About a decade after cursing God, Iwao Hakamada was baptized Catholic at the Tokyo Detention House on Dec. 24, 1984. “Since I have been given the Christian name Paul, I am keenly feeling that I should be aware of the greatness of Paul.” (June 1985)

Saudi Prince Pays $1.3M to Save Man on Death Row

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March 8, 2015: Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal reportedly paid 5 million riyals (1.33 million USD) in “blood money” to save the life of a man on death row for murder.

Mohammad Al Aqili, a Saudi citizen, was convicted in 2012 of causing the death of another man during a fight in January of that year, Saudi Gazette said. 

He was sentenced to death but the victim’s family agreed to pardon him if he paid 23 million riyals in blood money.

He was given until 4 May 2015 to pay the money. 

Al Aqili’s family had managed to raise 18 million riyals through donations, Saudi Gazette reported.

Offering the balance to help free Al Aqili, Prince Alwaleed said on Twitter he did not usually interfere with legal cases but he wanted to avoid Al Aqili’s death sentence, the daily reported. 

Source: m.arabianbusiness.com, March 8, 2015

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