Saudi Arabia postpones crucifixion, firing squad executions
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia A Saudi security official says executions of seven Saudis sentenced to death by crucifixion and firing squad have been postponed for a week.
He said King Abdullah would review the sentences. He met families of the seven on Sunday.
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The official said on Tuesday that the ruler of the southwestern province of Asir, Prince Faisal bin Abdel Aziz, ordered the postponement. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The seven were juveniles at the time they were arrested for armed robbery, a capital offense in Saudi Arabia. One told The Associated Press by telephone from prison that they were tortured to force confessions and barred access to lawyers.
Nasser al-Qahtani, now 24, told The Associated Press Monday that he was arrested as part of 23-member ring that stole from jewelry stores in 2004 and 2005.
"I killed no one. I didn't have weapons while robbing the store, but the police tortured me, beat me up and threatened to assault my mother to extract confessions that I had a weapon with me while I was only 15," he said. "We don't deserve death."
Human rights groups called on the Saudi government to cancel the executions.
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You thought living under so-called Christian laws/punishments were bad.
Primary questions are: did the accused do it? What has been done to make sure innocent person is not found guilty?
They (the neocons) already support "do the crime, do the time" and then insist someone "ride their record" (after having done their time)-except! If it's one of theirs. They have not moral one about someone continuing to be punished beyond the scope of their sentence. Not one. Unless, S/he is one of their own, like Newt, for example. Or Rush for that matter; he admitted to getting drugs illegally, and is still in the public eye, and closely held by the Republican't party.
Laws for thee, none for me. That's what you "Con" self-servatives have liberated. Y'all worse than the Mob. You can tell me I'm wrong when I see you, yourselves, string-up Rove, Delay, and Charlie in the public square.
As for the boys the story concerns, meh. Torture under the law of their land is SOP. It is here too, we just sugar-coat it and call it something else--you know, "enhanced interrogation".
And prosecutors in this USA do have a nasty tendency to hold culpable those who have done no wrong, and where there is no evidence, material or otherwise, against the accused. Prosecutors strive to have every accusation of the police validated instead of seeking the truth. Biased lately?
Saudi Arabia is supposed to be our ally to which we send foreign aid when they are supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world) and who bleed the US on a daily basis for the oil they supply to the United States.
Should Saudi Arabia go ahead with these executions; the US should cut off all foreign aid (most of it is in the form of food) immediately and embargo any oil from Saudi Arabia.!
I don't know what deity these barbarians worship, if any, but morally they are still living in the times of 01 AD.
I can't help but wonder if the punishment would be the same if a member of the "Royal" family had been involved in these robberies.
The UN should denounce Saudi Arabia today.!
I'm sick of sending foreign aid (money we don't have)to these Neanderthals who set themselves so far above their common people.
Reminds me; in a small way; of our President and Congress.
Every last Human Rights group should bombard Prince Faisal bin Abdel Aziz with whatever it takes to stop him.!!
I don't give a fat rats a$$ if this is part of their "justice?" system.
Absolutely, positively disgusting "human?" being.!!!
Between the war in Iraq and the ongoing war in Afghanistan, it seems like the US government never learns anything.!
The only thing Obama the US and the Congress seem to know is how to "lead" the US and Americans further down the path of destruction.
"Off with their heads" as said in the Wizard of Oz.!!
that would send a clear painful signal.
When a criminal points a weapon at someone and threatens to kill them they should be locked up forever at the very least.
Well the justice system in saudi Arabia, if you are non saudi citizen specially Islam and you get killed by saudi savager (padwein), you are smilar to a dead dog. Who cares those killed in justice in Saudi Arabia as far as they importing crude to the west. Who cares!._.?