Saudi Arabia Must Stop Rising Executions, Says Amnesty International

Saudi Arabia Must Stop Rising Executions, Says Amnesty International

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June 12, 2011

Amnesty International has taken cognizance of increasing number of death sentences in Saudi Arabia and majority them so executed are foreign nationals, a CNN news report said.

London based Amnesty International said on Saturday that State-sanctioned beheadings shown a rise   in the past six weeks and “The Saudi authorities must immediately stop executions and commute all death sentences,

with a view to abolishing the death penalty completely,"

Philip Luther, Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa said in après release: "The Saudi Arabian authorities must halt this disturbing pattern, which puts the country at odds with the worldwide trend against the death penalty,"

Giving detail the Amnesty International official said that about about 27 people were executed in Saudi Arabia this year. An equal number of people were executed in 2010. Out of those executed this year, five were foreign nationals. Prisoners waiting death sentence are not less than hundred and many of them are foreigners.

Amnesty claimed that the prisoners are not allowed legal facilities to defend themselves, the news report said.