Tuesday, April 02, 2013


Saudi Man Who Paralysed His Best Friend in Knife Attack Faces Having His Spinal Cord Severed in 'Eye-for-an eye' Punishment

MAIL ONLINE: Ali Al-Khawahir was aged 14 when he stabbed his friend in the backbone / Ali has been imprisoned for 10 years, but must now pay 'blood money'

A Saudi man convicted of paralysing his best friend in a knife attack is being threatened with having his spinal cord cut in a tit-for-tat punishment.

The ultra-conservative desert Kingdom enforces Islamic law and on rare occasions issues punishments based on the ancient code of an ‘eye-for-an-eye’.

Ali Al-Khawahir was 14 years old when he stabbed his friend in the backbone and has been imprisoned for 10 years.

He has been told that he will be sentenced to being fully paralysed himself unless he pays the victim blood money in a form of compensation, reported the Saudi Gazette. Originally the victim requested 2 million Saudi Riyal - more than half a million U.S. dollars - but it was later reduced to 1 million.

His mother has begged people to contribute money to the fund.

'Ten years have passed with hundreds of sleepless nights. My hair has become grey at a young age because of my son’s problem.

'I have been frightened to death whenever I think about my son’s fate and that he will have to be paralyzed,' she said. Read on and comment » | Daily Mail Reporter | Tuesday, April 02, 2013