Saudi Arabia Remains «Wedded» to Death Penalty!

Local Editor

Saudi Arabia remains committed to the death penalty, according to a new report published by a human rights group.

The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights [ESOHR] said 146 people were executed in Saudi Arabia in 2017, making it the third worst offender in the world.

“Amidst Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human rights landscape, the use of capital punishment remains a highly contentious issue, particularly where it violates the non-derivable right to life,” the report said.

It further added: “Employed as a tool of terror by the authorities, the irreversible nature of capital punishment means that this particular violation must be reported on particularly when a lack of due process or the use of execution as a political tool is a key concern.”

Meanwhile, the organization cautioned that “Such unfair trials lead to the continuous issuance of death sentences regardless of the violations the victims were exposed to, even if torture was used to extract confessions.”

“Within the first four months of 2018, executions in Saudi Arabia seem to be heading toward the same pattern as the year of 2017. By the end of June 2018,

Saudi Arabia had executed 54 people, while dozens continue to face the death penalty, including children, and who are accused of crimes that are not considered to be the most serious crimes according to international law,” it added.

In conclusion, ESOHR warned that “Saudi Arabia continues to issue and execute death sentences, ignoring international laws and countries statements which demanded compliance with its commitment.”

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team