Saudi Prince Facing Execution for Murder after Senior Royalty Insisted 'There Is No Difference between Rich and Poor'

Crown Prince Salman: no-one is immune from sharia law

MAIL ONLINE: So far, the identity of the prince and his victim has not been made public / Crown Prince Salman said Islamic law shall be applied 'without exception'

A Saudi prince who murdered a fellow Saudi may be executed, a newspaper reported on Sunday, in a rare example of a member of the kingdom's ruling family facing the death penalty.

The English-language Arab News did not name the prince or his victim, but said a senior member of the family and government, Crown Prince Salman, had ‘cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen’.

In a message about the case to Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Prince Salman said: ‘Sharia (Islamic law) shall be applied to all without exception’, the daily reported.

Prince Salman's message followed a statement from the victim's father that he was not ready to pardon the killer and he was not happy with the amount offered as blood money.

The families of murder victims are encouraged by authorities to accept blood money instead of insisting on execution.

The paper quoted Crown Prince Salman's message as saying: ‘There is no difference between big and small, rich and poor ... Nobody is allowed to interfere with the judiciary's decision. This is the tradition of this state. We are committed to following the sharia.’ » | Ted Thornhill | Monday, December 30, 2013