Saudi Arabia Executes Man For Crime Allegedly Committed When He Was 15
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed a man, identified as Hassan Zaki al-Faraj for an offence allegedly committed when he was 15-year-old. According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), the execution was carried out for a crime committed during childhood, and the crime includes meeting and developing friendships with other detained and wanted individuals.
Saudi Supreme Court also upheld another death penalty of Yousef al-Manasif, who was convicted of crimes allegedly committed when he was 15 and 16, putting another man at risk of upcoming execution.
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Notably, there are allegations of custodial torture, forced confessions, and prolonged solitary confinement against authorities in these cases. According to reports, at least three other men convicted of alleged crimes committed as children are waiting for their death sentences.
According to Faraj’s lawyer, he had been tortured and forced to sign a confession used in the case. Saudi authorities had arrested al-Faraj on November 27, 2017, held him in solitary confinement for six months, and charged him with various counterterrorism offenses, including one allegedly committed when he was 14.
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The crime relates to meeting and developing friendships with other detained and wanted individuals, based on the charge sheet and court documents. The crime also allegedly involves participating in protest against the Saudi authorities.
