27th August, 2015
Saudi Arabia is executing people at the average rate of two a day between August last year and June this year, according to a new report from Amnesty International.
The report, ‘Killing in the name of justice’: The death penalty in Saudi Arabia, shows that over the 30 years between January, 1985, and June, 2015, at least 2,200 people were executed in the country with almost half of them foreign nationals – the majority of whom are migrant workers with "no knowledge of Arabic".
The figure includes 102 people executed in the first six months of this year alone, a significant increase on 2014 when a total of 90 people were executed, with the data showing that between August last year and June this year executions have been carried out at an average rate of one every two days.
Amnesty says the data shows that of those executed over the past 30 years, more than a third were carried out for offences, including drug-related offences, that do not met the international threshold of "most serious crimes" as well as for "crimes" not internationally recognised, including apostasy, adultery, witchcraft and sorcery. It says Saudi Arabia continues to execute people for crimes committed when they were under the age of 18 and people with mental disabilities.
Amnesty is calling for Saudi Arabian authorities to restrict the scope of the death penalty to "intentional killing", to stop executing people who were under 18 when offences were committed or who are suspected of suffering from mental and intellectual difficulties, and to ensure foreign nationals have adequate access to consular and interpretation services.
They have also called for authorities to ensure all death penalty cases are conducted in accordance with "international standards for fair trials" and to ensure all allegations surrounding the use of torture to extract "confessions" "are promptly and impartially investigated".
Executions are most commonly carried out in Saudi Arabia by beheading although the report says firing squads are sometimes used. They are typically carried out in public squares.
Amnesty says Saudi Arabia executes the third highest number of people of any country in the world – surpassed only by China and Iran.
~ www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde23/2092/2015/en
– DAVID ADAMS
