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DUBAI (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES): King Salman of Saudi Arabia has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors, according to a statement released Sunday by a senior official.
The decision comes immediately after other judges who order an end to the practice of flogging, replace him with jail time, fines or community service and end one of the kingdom’s most controversial forms of public punishment.
King Salman’s son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the loosening of the kingdom’s restrictions and its turn away from the ultra-conservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism, which many in the country still adhere closely.
The crown prince has sought to modernize the country, attract foreign investment, and renew Saudi Arabia’s reputation globally. She has also overseen a parallel offensive against liberals, women’s rights activists, writers, moderate clerics, and reformers. The 2018 murder of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey by agents working for the crown prince drew strong international criticism.
King Salman’s latest royal decree could avoid the death penalty for at least six men in the country’s minority Shiite community who allegedly committed crimes under the age of 18, including Ali al-Nimr, who had participated in anti-government protests. Such activity carries terrorism-related charges in the kingdom for disturbing order and disobeying the ruler.
In a document seen by The Associated Press, the royal decree orders prosecutors to review cases and suspend penalties for those who have already served the 10-year maximum.
However, the decree establishes that the cases of minors related to terrorism will be judged differently. It was not immediately clear if these cases would be subject to the 10-year prison limit.
Last year, Saudi Arabia executed a young man convicted of crimes that took place when he was 16 years old. Amnesty International said Abdulkareem al-Hawaj was convicted of crimes related to his participation in protests in areas populated by Shiites from Saudi Arabia.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long called on the kingdom to abolish the use of the death penalty, particularly for crimes committed by minors.
The chairman of the Saudi government’s Human Rights Commission, Awwad Alawwad, confirmed the latest decision in a statement on Sunday, saying it helps the kingdom establish “a more modern penal code and demonstrates the kingdom’s commitment to press ahead with reforms. key”.
He said “more reforms will come” and that the two decisions “reflect how Saudi Arabia is making progress in carrying out critical human rights reforms, even amid the difficulties imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The decree expands on a previous order issued by King Salman in late 2018, which establishes a maximum prison term of 10 years for minors in certain cases, except for crimes punishable by death. Now, the 10-year maximum applies to all crimes committed by minors, with the possible exception of terrorism-related crimes.
“This step, if true, needs to overturn the current death sentences of all children,” said Ali al-Ahmed, a Saudi rights activist in Washington.
The Saudi Arabian Supreme Court recently issued a directive to end flogging as a form of punishment sometime in April, according to another document seen by The Associated Press.
The public spectacle of flogging a prisoner handcuffed for often non-violent crimes had made some comparisons to the types of punishments carried out by extremist groups such as the Islamic State. Saudi authorities had argued that it was a form of deterrence against potential criminals. Human rights groups criticized the practice as inhumane.
The Supreme Court document said the decision was in line with the kingdom’s reforms and developments in the field of human rights as directed by King Salman and overseen by the crown prince.
Five years ago, prominent Saudi blogger Raif Badawi received 50 lashes in front of hundreds of spectators in the metropolitan city of Jiddah. It attracted outrage and condemnation from around the world, including many of Saudi Arabia’s western allies. Badawi’s feet and hands were chained during the flogging, but his face was visible.
Badawi is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence and ordered to pay more than $ 266,000 in fines on charges related to his criticism of Saudi Arabia’s powerful clerics on the liberal blog he founded.
While some crimes, such as murder, may carry fixed penalties according to the interpretation of Islamic law in Saudi Arabia, or Shariah, many other crimes are considered “tazir”, which means that neither crime nor punishment is defined in the Islam.
Discretionary trials for “tazir” crimes, such as flogging, have led to arbitrary decisions with contentious results. Muslim countries generally do not practice public flogging.
“This is a good step, but we are still waiting to see if the existing sentences will be reversed and removed,” al-Ahmed said.
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The decision comes immediately after other judges who order an end to the practice of flogging, replace him with jail time, fines or community service and end one of the kingdom’s most controversial forms of public punishment.
King Salman’s son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the loosening of the kingdom’s restrictions and its turn away from the ultra-conservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism, which many in the country still adhere closely.
The crown prince has sought to modernize the country, attract foreign investment, and renew Saudi Arabia’s reputation globally. She has also overseen a parallel offensive against liberals, women’s rights activists, writers, moderate clerics, and reformers. The 2018 murder of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey by agents working for the crown prince drew strong international criticism.
King Salman’s latest royal decree could avoid the death penalty for at least six men in the country’s minority Shiite community who allegedly committed crimes under the age of 18, including Ali al-Nimr, who had participated in anti-government protests. Such activity carries terrorism-related charges in the kingdom for disturbing order and disobeying the ruler.
In a document seen by The Associated Press, the royal decree orders prosecutors to review cases and suspend penalties for those who have already served the 10-year maximum.
However, the decree establishes that the cases of minors related to terrorism will be judged differently. It was not immediately clear if these cases would be subject to the 10-year prison limit.
Last year, Saudi Arabia executed a young man convicted of crimes that took place when he was 16 years old. Amnesty International said Abdulkareem al-Hawaj was convicted of crimes related to his participation in protests in areas populated by Shiites from Saudi Arabia.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long called on the kingdom to abolish the use of the death penalty, particularly for crimes committed by minors.
The chairman of the Saudi government’s Human Rights Commission, Awwad Alawwad, confirmed the latest decision in a statement on Sunday, saying it helps the kingdom establish “a more modern penal code and demonstrates the kingdom’s commitment to press ahead with reforms. key”.
He said “more reforms will come” and that the two decisions “reflect how Saudi Arabia is making progress in carrying out critical human rights reforms, even amid the difficulties imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The decree expands on a previous order issued by King Salman in late 2018, which establishes a maximum prison term of 10 years for minors in certain cases, except for crimes punishable by death. Now, the 10-year maximum applies to all crimes committed by minors, with the possible exception of terrorism-related crimes.
“This step, if true, needs to overturn the current death sentences of all children,” said Ali al-Ahmed, a Saudi rights activist in Washington.
The Saudi Arabian Supreme Court recently issued a directive to end flogging as a form of punishment sometime in April, according to another document seen by The Associated Press.
The public spectacle of flogging a prisoner handcuffed for often non-violent crimes had made some comparisons to the types of punishments carried out by extremist groups such as the Islamic State. Saudi authorities had argued that it was a form of deterrence against potential criminals. Human rights groups criticized the practice as inhumane.
The Supreme Court document said the decision was in line with the kingdom’s reforms and developments in the field of human rights as directed by King Salman and overseen by the crown prince.
Five years ago, prominent Saudi blogger Raif Badawi received 50 lashes in front of hundreds of spectators in the metropolitan city of Jiddah. It attracted outrage and condemnation from around the world, including many of Saudi Arabia’s western allies. Badawi’s feet and hands were chained during the flogging, but his face was visible.
Badawi is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence and ordered to pay more than $ 266,000 in fines on charges related to his criticism of Saudi Arabia’s powerful clerics on the liberal blog he founded.
While some crimes, such as murder, may carry fixed penalties according to the interpretation of Islamic law in Saudi Arabia, or Shariah, many other crimes are considered “tazir”, which means that neither crime nor punishment is defined in the Islam.
Discretionary trials for “tazir” crimes, such as flogging, have led to arbitrary decisions with contentious results. Muslim countries generally do not practice public flogging.
“This is a good step, but we are still waiting to see if the existing sentences will be reversed and removed,” al-Ahmed said.
