TOP TRENDS
Ali Mohammed al-Nimr |
The
British government has said it will “urgently” raise with Saudi Arabia
the case of a juvenile sentenced to ‘crucifixion’– but has given no
indication that it will withdraw a controversial bid for a contract with
the Saudi justice system, while criticism of the US grows for its
silence on the case.
In
a statement to Reuters last night on the case of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr –
sentenced to death in the wake of pro-democracy protests – the Foreign
Office said: “We understand that Ali Mohammed Al Nimr’s legal process
has finished and his final appeal has been denied. We will raise this
case urgently with the Saudi authorities.” The spokesperson added: “The
abolition of the death penalty is a human rights priority for the UK.
The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances.”
The
UK’s intervention comes amid controversy over an ongoing Ministry of
Justice bid for a contract to provide services to the Saudi prison
system. UK Ministers had to correct the Parliamentary record recently
after wrongly claiming that they were unable to drop the bid due to the
risk of “financial penalties.” The only reason now given for continuing
with the bid is that “withdrawing at this late stage would be
detrimental to [Her Majesty’s Government’s] wider interests.”
The
United States has also faced criticism for its silence on the case.
When asked about it earlier this week, a US State Department
spokesperson refused to comment, but said he ‘welcomed’ the appointing
of a Saudi representative to a senior position on the UN’s Human Rights
Council.
Ali
was 17 when he was arrested in May 2012 in the country’s Eastern
Province. He was tortured into ‘confessing’ to a role in protests, and
despite later recanting his statement, he was sentenced to be
‘crucified’ by the country’s secretive Specialized Criminal Court. Last
week, it emerged that his sentence had been upheld without his
knowledge.
Ali
has never been permitted to meet with his lawyer, and with legal
avenues now exhausted, he could be executed at any moment with no prior
notification to his family. The sentence will involve his being
beheaded, and his body displayed in public.
The
UK's Saudi contract bid follows the government's recent abandonment of
both its strategy to end the death penalty around the world, and its use
of the term ‘countries of concern’ when assessing the human rights
records of states including Saudi Arabia. Human rights organization
Reprieve has called the retreat “disastrous” at a time when Saudi Arabia
and others, such as Iran and Pakistan, are presiding over a surge in
executions.
Commenting,
Maya Foa, director of the death penalty team at human rights
organization Reprieve, said: “The Saudi government’s plans to ‘crucify’
Ali al-Nimr are appalling, so it’s welcome that the Foreign Office is
now joining other countries in raising Ali’s case with the Saudi
government. But by insisting on pursuing business with the Saudi justice
system, the UK continues to indicate to the Saudis that we condone the
most extreme abuses, such as Ali’s torture and brutal death sentence.
Sadly the silence of the US government sends the same terrible message.
These two countries – among the strongest allies of the Saudi government
– must take real action without delay to stop Ali from being killed.”
Source: Reprieve, September 25, 2015
- The US State Department spokesperson's comments are here,
- The British government's statement is available from Reuters, while details of the UK's bid for a Saudi contract can be seen here.
- Concerns have also been raised about Ali's case by the French and Irish governments, as well as by a group of UN experts (available here).
Report an error, an omission: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com
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