Juvenile prisoner faces 'death by crucifixion' after appeal is dismissed

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Saudi Arabia has dismissed the final appeal of a prisoner sentenced to death as a child, leading to fears his execution could take place in a matter of days. Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested when he was 17 and initially held at a juvenile offenders facility. There is evidence that he was tortured and forced to sign a document amounting to a confession, which then formed the basis of the case against him.

Last week, his family found out that his final appeal had been heard in secret, without Ali’s knowledge, and dismissed. This means that there are now no remaining legal hurdles before he faces his sentence of ‘death by crucifixion,’ originally handed down on 27 May 2014.

Ali was arrested on 14 February 2012 in the wake of anti-Government protests, and has been accused by the authorities of participation in an illegal demonstration and firearms offences – no evidence has been produced for the latter charge, which he and his family strongly deny.

The opaque nature of the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) through which Ali was convicted makes it hard to determine the detail of the charges against him.

The case against Ali appears to be based on his familial connection to Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a 53-year old critic of the Saudi regime and a prominent religious leader in the Kingdom, who is his uncle. Mr Al Nimr was sentenced to death by crucifixion on charges including 'insulting the King' and delivering religious sermons that 'disrupt national unity'.

This week, it emerged that the authorities plan to execute Ali's uncle on Thursday (17 September) sparking fears that his nephew will also be killed.

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Saudi Arabia: Juvenile prisoner faces 'death by crucifixion' after appeal is dismissed
 
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Nimr was arrested in 2012, reportedly after participating in a protest. He was found guilty of joining a criminal group and attacking police officers. Other charges against him included using a BlackBerry device to encourage others to come out and join the protest.

The UN has called the trial “short of international standards” and asked Saudi Arabia to halt the execution. Human rights groups including Amnesty International have alleged that Nirm was tortured and forced to confess to some of the charges.

The sentence of crucifixion likely means that Nimr is set to be beheaded before his body is displayed on a cross in a public place.

Reports indicate that Nimr did attend a demonstration, but was not an activist. Other sources have said that the sentence of crucifixion is likely political “revenge” because Nimr is a nephew of Shia cleric and activist Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, who is also facing execution.

The cleric has been sentenced to death on charges of terrorism for “waging war on God” because he gave a speech at anti-government protests in Qatif, Amnesty International reported.

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https://www.rt.com/news/316621-anonymous-targets-saudi-websites-nimr/



UK backs Saudi prisons despite impending child crucifixion

Despite Saudi plans to crucify a child for anti-government offences, the British government will continue with a bid to support the Gulf Kingdom’s prison system, the legal charity Reprieve has claimed.

In a statement on its website, Reprieve says the British government has had to backtrack on its claim that the bid to service Saudi prisons could not be cancelled because to do so would incur “financial penalties.”

Oxfam UK said the ongoing conflict in Yemen has been exacerbated by the UK government’s arms deals with Saudi Arabia.

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Britain fueling war in Yemen, breaking international law – Oxfam UK — RT UK
 
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