Public executions in Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, as in many Islamic countries, crime and punishment is based on Sharia Law (derived from the principles of the Qu’ran and hadith). Sharia Law dictates specific punishments for different crimes. Some crimes that are punishable by death include:

There is more than one way in which an execution may be carried out. The sentence for Apostasy, or the repentance of one’s faith, is a public beheading, while the sentence for Adultery is death by stoning. Executions may occur within prison boundaries or in a public square, depending on court ruling. Of the 6,221 executions known to have taken place around the world from 2007-2012 (excluding China), 423 (6.8%) were carried out in Saudi Arabia.[1] The government does not release figures on executions in the Kingdom[2] but human rights organizations try to document them and make estimates.

Crimes

Witchcraft and sorcery

Cases

Muree bin Ali bin Issa al-Asiri, who was found in possession of talismans, was executed in the southern Najran province in June 2012. A Saudi woman, Amina bin Salem Nasser,[3] was executed for being convicted of practising sorcery and witchcraft in December 2011 in the northern province of Jawf, and a Sudanese man (Abdul Hamid Bin Hussain Bin Moustafa al-Fakki) was executed in a car park in Medina for the same reason in September 20, 2011.[4][5][6] (Ali Hussain Sibat, a Lebanese host of a popular fortune-telling TV program was arrested while in Saudi in May 2008 on Umrah and sentenced to death but given a reprieve.)

Qisas

Qisas, or retribution, is a common principal in Sharia Law. It is a form of mirror punishment commonly known as “an eye for an eye.” Eye gougings and limb amputations are not uncommon in the Middle East. In the case of murder, the victim’s relatives are given the option to execute the offender, demand monetary compensation for the death of their relative (also known as blood money) or they may pardon them.[7]

Types of punishment

Beheading

A public beheading will typically take place around 9am. The convicted person is walked into the square and kneels in front of the executioner. The executioner uses a sword known as a sulthan to remove the condemned person's head from his or her body at the neck. Sometimes it may take several strikes before victim is decapitated.[8] After the convicted person is pronounced dead, a loudspeaker announces the crimes committed by the beheaded alleged criminal and the process is complete. This is the most common method of execution in Saudi Arabia because it is specifically called for by Sharia Law. Professional executioners behead as many as ten people in a single day. The severed head is usually sewn back on,[9] and sometimes put on crucifixes for public display.

Stoning

Stoning (Rajm) in Saudi Arabia is often reserved for men and women accused of specifically of adultery (sexual relations with another person while married). When convicted (and there must be credible witness statements from multiple men), the perpetrator will be buried up to their chest or knees in a ditch. Next, a group of people will repeatedly throw stones at the buried person until they are confirmed deceased. This method leaves no single person to blame for the death clearly.

Lashing

Although not a form of capital punishment, lashings are often carried out in the same public squares as executions. A typical lashing sentence is anywhere from 80-100 lashes, depending on the offense. In 2011, a 13-year-old schoolgirl was sentenced to 90 lashings in front of her classmates as punishment for assaulting a teacher.[10] Raif Badawi was sentenced in May 2014 to 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Rogers, Simon (29 March 2011). "Death Penalty Statistics". Guardian (London).
  2. ↑ Tripp, Harvey; North, Peter (2009). CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette. Saudi Arabia (3rd ed.). Marshall Cavendish. p. 104.
  3. ↑ "Saudi Arabia execution of 'sorcery' woman condemned". Daily Telegraph. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 13 Dec 2011.
  4. ↑ Pickup, Oliver. "The moment man was publicly beheaded in a Saudi Arabian car park for being a 'sorcerer'". 31 October 2011. Mail online. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "Saudi man executed for 'witchcraft and sorcery'". 19 June 2012. BBC News. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Execution Central: Saudi Arabia's Bloody Chop-Chop Square".
  7. ↑ "Surgical Paralysis Ordered in Saudi Arabia as Punishment for Teenage Assault".
  8. ↑ "DOCUMENT - SAUDI ARABIA: AN UPSURGE IN PUBLIC EXECUTIONS".
  9. ↑ "Justice By The Sword: Saudi Arabia's Embrace Of The Death Penalty". Ibtimes.com. 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
  10. ↑ Jamjoom, Mohammed (2010-01-25). "Report: Saudi girl accepts lashing for assaulting headmistress". CNN. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  11. ↑ Burke, Jason (2015-06-11). "Saudi blogger Raif Badawi may receive second set of lashes on Friday". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
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