April 11
SAUDI ARABIA:
Saudis execute more Black Africans
Saudi Arabia executed 6 Black Africans last week. At least 1 victim was
not told he had been condemned to death, it is alleged.
Execution Saudi Arabian style
5 Somalis and 1 Sudanese man have been put to death in the last week by
the House of Saud.
The 5 Somalis were each jailed for 5 years in 1999 and sentenced to 3,000
lashes for "abducting and robbing" taxi drivers.
When their sentences were up they remained in jail, despite protests from
Amnesty International. There are claims that the 5 are innocent and were
forced to sign confessions written in Arabic after being tortured.
A spokesperson for the Saudi embassy in London told the Independent on
Sunday the 6 men had "committed hundreds of crimes."
Dr Ali al-Qarni, was quoted as saying: "The death penalty is not an issue
for discussion. It is Islamic law. A rapist, a killer is going to get
capital punishment."
Last year almost half of the 33 people executed were foreign nationals.
The 40 people killed so far this year represents an increase of over 500%.
London bus driver Abshir Hassan said he had spoken to his brother
Abdel-Fatteh by telephone last Monday and said the prisoner had no idea he
would be beheaded the following day.
A spokesman for Amnesty International said: "Any rise in executions is
worrying, but the secrecy and lack of fairness makes these figures even
more frightening."
(source: Black Information Link)
