Showing posts with label execution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label execution. Show all posts
Monday, June 21, 2010
THE TIMES: The Iranian Sunni militant leader Abdolmalek Rigi, who waged a deadly insurgency in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, has been hanged in prison.
“After the decision of the Tehran revolutionary tribunal, Abdolmalek Rigi was hanged on Sunday morning in Evin prison,” the state news agency IRNA said.
It quoted a court statement as saying: “The head of the armed counter-revolutionary group in the east of the country ... was responsible for armed robbery, assassination attempts, armed attacks on the army and police and on ordinary people, and murder.”
The hanging came after authorities exhausted legal requirements following months of interrogation and trial on charges of “being corrupt on earth; for waging a bloody campaign in Iran’s southeast”.
Mr Rigi, leader of the Sunni militant group called Jundallah (Soldiers of God) [جندالله], was arrested in February by Iranian intelligence agents while flying from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan. Read on and comment >>> Claire Sweeney | Monday, June 21, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
THE TIMES: A seven-year-old boy was executed by the Taleban in a brutal act of retribution this week after his grandfather dared to resist the insurgents’ iron rule.
Afghan officials said that the boy was accused of spying for US and Nato forces and hanged from a tree in southern Afghanistan.
Daoud Ahmadi, the spokesman for Helmand’s provincial governor, said that the murder came days after the boy’s grandfather, Abdul Woodod Alokozai, spoke out against militants in their hometown.
“I know his father and I know his grandfather,” Mr Ahmadi said. “His grandfather is a tribal elder in the village and the village is under the control of the Taleban. His grandfather said some good things about the Government and he formed a small group of people to stand against the Taleban.
“That’s why the Taleban killed his grandson in revenge.” >>> Jerome Starkey, Kandahar | Thursday, June 10, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: The lawyer of a Lebanese TV psychic who was convicted in Saudi Arabia for witchcraft said her client could be beheaded this week and urged Lebanese and Saudi leaders to help spare his life.
Ali Sibat made predictions on an Arab satellite TV channel from his home in Beirut.
He was arrested by the Saudi religious police during his pilgrimage to the holy city of Medina in May 2008 and sentenced to death last November.
Lawyer May al-Khansa said she learned from an unofficial source that Mr Sibat, 49, is to be beheaded on Friday.
She added that she does not have any official confirmation of this.
"Ali is not a criminal. He did not commit a crime or do anything disgraceful," Mrs al-Khansa said.
"The world should help in rescuing a man who has five children, a wife and a seriously ill mother."
She added that Sibat's mother's health has been deteriorating since her son was sentenced to death.
The Saudi justice system, which is based on Islamic law, does not clearly define the charge of witchcraft.
Sibat is one of scores of people reported arrested every year in the kingdom for practicing sorcery, witchcraft, black magic and fortunetelling. >>> | Thursday, April 01, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: 'Lebanese Derren Brown' Wins Reprieve from Beheading >>> Friday, April 02, 2010
CNN: Videos >>> | Friday, April 02, 2010
Friday, April 02, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: A Lebanese television psychic who is the equivalent of Derren Brown has won a temporary reprieve from a death sentence after being convicted in Saudi Arabia for witchcraft.
Ali Sibat, 49, had made predictions on an Arab satellite TV channel from his home in Beirut. He was arrested by the Saudi religious police during his pilgrimage to the holy city of Medina in May 2008 and sentenced to death last November.
He had been set to be beheaded Friday, the day executions are typically carried out in Saudi Arabia, but according to his attorney May al-Khansa, Lebanon's justice minister told her [that] her client would not be executed. She said it is still unclear whether the beheading had been waved [sic] or only postponed.
"Ali Sibat will stay alive this Friday but we don't know what is going to happen the next day, Saturday, Monday, any other day," she said. "What the (justice) minister told us was not enough for the family, it is not enough for me, because we really need Ali Sibat to be released." >>> | Friday, April 02, 2010
Related:
Beheading for Islamic Pilgrim? >>> | Friday, April 02, 2010
leJDD.fr: On ne rigole pas avec les "charlatans" en Arabie saoudite. Même quand ils travaillent hors du pays, au Liban en l'occurrence. Ali Sabat devait être décapité vendredi pour avoir effectué des prédictions pour la télévision de Beyrouth. Il a surtout commis l'erreur de se rendre en pèlerinage à Médine. Un périple qui l'a conduit tout droit à la décapitation. La police religieuse en a en effet profité pour l'arrêter. Si son exécution a été reportée vendredi suite à l'intervention de la diplomatie libanaise, le "sorcier" n'est pas tiré d'affaires.
Il ne l'avait certainement pas vu venir. Ali Sabat, qui effectuait des prédictions pour la chaîne libanaise Sheherazade, diffusée par satellite, devait être exécuté vendredi en Arabie saoudite. Si son exécution a été reportée suite à l'intervention de la diplomatie libanaise, son sort reste encore incertain. II avait été arrêté en mai 2008 lors d'un pèlerinage vers Médine pour "sorcellerie et charlatanisme", des activités jugées polythéistes et contraire à la loi islamique.
L'homme n'a pourtant jamais exercé ses activités en Arabie saoudite mais depuis Beyrouth. Qu'importe, il lui a suffi de se rendre en pèlerinage dans la ville sainte de la péninsule arabique pour être appréhendé par la police religieuse saoudienne. Interrogé, il a avoué ses "crimes", en espérant être simplement renvoyé du pays. Le 9 novembre 2008, le verdict est tombé: peine de mort par décapitation. >>> Mathieu Olivier - leJDD.fr | Vendredi 02 Avril 2010
Related:
Saudis Display Their Barbaric, Dark Age Credentials! >>> | Thursday, April 01, 2010
Thursday, April 01, 2010
BBC: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has been urged to intervene to stop the execution of a Lebanese national accused of sorcery in Saudi Arabia.
Amnesty International said TV fortune teller Ali Hussain Sabat seemed to have been convicted for "exercising of his right to freedom of expression".
Mr Sabat's lawyer said she had been informed unofficially that he could be beheaded by the end of this week.
But Beirut's envoy to Riyadh said the case was still being heard.
The condemned man hosted a satellite TV show in which he predicted the future.
He was arrested by the Saudi religious police while on pilgrimage to the country in 2008.
Malcolm Smart, head of Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa programme, said it was "high time the Saudi Arabian government joined the international trend towards a worldwide moratorium on executions".
The Lebanese ambassador to Riyadh, Marwan Zein, said on Thursday that he had not been informed that Mr Sabat's execution was imminent, AFP news agency reports.
His case was "still being considered by the court", the ambassador said.
There has been no official confirmation from Saudi Arabia, but executions there are often carried out with little warning. >>> | Thursday, April 01, 2010
CNN: The wife of a Lebanese man facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia for "sorcery" pleaded for mercy Thursday as Lebanon's justice minister asked the kingdom's rulers to halt his beheading.
Family members have been told that Ali Hussain Sibat, who used to offer predictions and advice to callers on a Lebanese television network, is scheduled to be put to death Friday. His wife made an emotional plea for his release during a CNN interview Thursday.
"All I ask is for the Saudi king and the Saudi government to show him mercy -- let him come back to his country and his family," Samira Rahmoon said.
Sibat was arrested by Saudi Arabia's religious police and charged with sorcery while visiting the country for an Islamic pilgrimage in May 2008, according to May El Khansa, his attorney in Lebanon. Saudi authorities have not disclosed details of the charge for which Sibat has been condemned and have not responded to requests for comment on the case.
"We can't understand how they could arrest him and charge him and sentence him to death," Rahmoon said. "It doesn't make any sense."
El Khansa said Wednesday that she had been told about the upcoming execution by a Saudi source with knowledge of the case and the proceedings. Lebanon's government says it has no confirmation that his execution has been set. But Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said he has asked the Saudis to halt any scheduled execution and release Sibat, calling the punishment "disproportionate."
"I have asked them not to implement any execution in this case," he said. "As far as I know, such an act doesn't deserve such a punishment, unless there is something else -- something that I have not had the possibility to study or to examine myself."
Rahmoon said the family has been unable to contact Sibat "for a long time" and has received no official notification that her husband's execution date has been set.
"We don't understand how he could be executed without us getting any notification first," Rahmoon said. "How could they decide to execute him and not inform us?"
A law against witchcraft remains on the books in Lebanon, but is the equivalent of a misdemeanor, Najjar said. >>> Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN | Thursday, April 01, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: The lawyer of a Lebanese TV psychic who was convicted in Saudi Arabia for witchcraft said her client could be beheaded this week and urged Lebanese and Saudi leaders to help spare his life.
Ali Sibat made predictions on an Arab satellite TV channel from his home in Beirut.
He was arrested by the Saudi religious police during his pilgrimage to the holy city of Medina in May 2008 and sentenced to death last November.
Lawyer May al-Khansa said she learned from an unofficial source that Mr Sibat, 49, is to be beheaded on Friday.
She added that she does not have any official confirmation of this.
"Ali is not a criminal. He did not commit a crime or do anything disgraceful," Mrs al-Khansa said.
"The world should help in rescuing a man who has five children, a wife and a seriously ill mother."
She added that Sibat's mother's health has been deteriorating since her son was sentenced to death.
The Saudi justice system, which is based on Islamic law, does not clearly define the charge of witchcraft.
Sibat is one of scores of people reported arrested every year in the kingdom for practicing sorcery, witchcraft, black magic and fortunetelling.
These practices are considered polytheism by the government in Saudi Arabia, a deeply religious Muslim country. >>> | Thursday, April 01, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: A student who was arrested for throwing a stone during pro-democracy demonstrations is to be executed, Iran said yesterday.
Mohammad-Amin Valian, a 20-year-old Islamic studies student, was arrested on the basis of a photograph taken at a mass demonstration against the rigged presidential election last year. He was among six people convicted of the Islamic crime of moharebeh, or waging war against God.
Their sentences were announced in an apparent attempt to forestall fresh demonstrations to coincide with yesterday's annual festival of fire.
Mr Valian's plight has become a rallying point for opponents of the regime and yesterday's announcement is the latest blow to the movement. The combination of his young age and the flimsy nature of his offence has spurred condemnation of the severity of the sentence.
Clashes were reported last night as Iranians celebrated Charshanbe Soori, a pre-Islamic bonfire night, in defiance of warnings of severe retaliation from the regime. >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Sunday, March 07, 2010
BBC: A Sudanese driver convicted of murdering his Saudi Arabian employer has been executed.
Mussa Ahmed was beheaded in Riyadh in the eighth execution in the kingdom this year.
Ahmed killed Mohammed al-Mutairy by hitting him on the head with a metal object, a statement published by the official SPA news agency said.
Following the crime, Ahmed fled to Sudan but was extradited to Saudi Arabia to stand trial, reports said.
No other details about the case were available.
Saudi Arabia executed 67 people last year, fewer than the record number of 153 in 2007.
Under the country's strict version of Sharia law, rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death. [Source: BBC] | Thursday, March 04, 2010
Thursday, March 04, 2010
MAIL ONLINE: A North Korean man has been executed by firing squad for calling a friend in South Korea on his mobile phone.
The brutal communist regime, which is technically at war with South Korea, has warned its 24 million population that any contact with the nation south of its borders is a crime punishable by life in prison or death.
News of those who have been caught and punished for making contact with the south rarely leaks out - because anyone disclosing information about punishment also risks imprisonment.
But a radio station in Seoul, South Korea, said it had learned that a man identified only as Jung has been executed after security officials raided his home and found a Chinese-manufactured mobile phone.
He was taken away and subjected to extreme torture, when he confessed that he had told a defector friend in South Korea about the harsh living conditions in the communist state.
He revealed that he had given his friend details of how people were struggling to live and had also passed on information about the price of rice. >>> Richard Shears | Thursday, March 04, 2010
KRONE.at: Ein nordkoreanischer Fabrikarbeiter ist nach Informationen eines südkoreanischen Radiosenders öffentlich hingerichtet worden, weil er mit seinem Handy Informationen ins Ausland weitergegeben haben soll. Dem Mann sei vorgeworfen worden, den Preis für Reis und andere Informationen über die Lebensbedingungen an einen Freund verraten zu haben, der vor Jahren nach Südkorea geflohen sei, berichtete das "Offene Radio für Nordkorea" am Donnerstag. Reis-Preise verraten: Nordkorea richtet telefonierenden "Verräter" hin >>> | Donnerstag, 04. März 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: A Saudi man who reportedly raped more than 100 women after posing as a spell-caster to lure them into his clutches has been sentenced to death, Saudi media reported on Wednesday.
The "Qatif sorcerer" was originally sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes, but after more victims came forth the sentence was changed to execution, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported.
The man, whose name was not given, terrified women around the eastern city of Qatif for several years.
He first drew them in by saying he could cast love spells, but then surreptitiously filmed their meeting and used his work for extortion and to rape them, according to Arab News.
Authorities found hidden cameras and some 200 videotapes and 180 computer disks with footage of his victims in his home, Arab News reported.
He may have tricked as many as 350 women, according to Al-Riyadh. >>> | Wednesday, January 20, 2010
ARABS NEWS: QATIF: A man dubbed the Qatif rapist has been sentenced to death for raping over 100 women and blackmailing many of his victims by recording the attacks on video.
The Qatif General Court passed the death sentence on the man who is accused of luring women saying he could perform black magic. The ruling has been passed to the Supreme Court for ratification.
The court originally sentenced the man to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes one year ago. The ruling was, however, appealed by the prosecution, Al-Yaum newspaper reported. It added that the crimes took place four years ago.
The man’s family has objected to the sentence, saying the victims are anonymous and that their names have not been mentioned in the case filed against him. The family says this is not in accordance with the law and that the victims should not be given anonymity. >>> | Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
BBC: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has distanced himself from a bill proposing execution for some gay people.
He stressed that the MP who proposed the bill, who is a member of the ruling party, did so as an individual and was not following government policy.
Mr Museveni, who admitted coming under international pressure, said the bill was now a "foreign policy issue" and would be discussed by the cabinet.
The proposals have caused a storm of criticism across the world.
Sweden has threatened to cut aid and other countries have contacted Mr Museveni directly to put their objections. >>> | Wednesday, January 13, 2010
BBC: Uganda fear over gay death-penalty plans >>> | Tuesday, December 22, 2010
Thursday, December 17, 2009
TIMES ONLINE – LEADING ARTICLE: Museveni appeals to anti-gay prejudice to mask growing political repression
To ask the public to voice their views on a question as crudely inflammatory as “Should homosexuals face execution?” is to invite bigotry to put on its boots. The BBC’s facile attempt to stimulate debate on its website has provoked justified outrage that old prejudices should be given a fresh hearing. Yet this same crude question is to be put to the Ugandan Parliament today. And there is a real fear that not only may MPs enthusiastically support the death penalty for active HIV-positive homosexuals; Uganda may soon pass legislation that would legitimise the hounding of gay people throughout Africa.
The proposed legislation is ostensibly meant to curb the spread of Aids, reinforce family values and reflect the widespread disgust many Africans express for what they regard as Western sexual decadence. It proposes a mandatory death sentence for active homosexuals living with HIV or in cases of same-sex rape. Anyone convicted of a homosexual act faces life imprisonment. And the friends and families of gay Ugandans could face up to seven years in jail if they fail to report them to the authorities. Even landlords could be imprisoned for renting to homosexuals. The Bill is an open invitation to a witch-hunt.
The measure has prompted widespread revulsion in much of the world. Gordon Brown and his Canadian counterpart expressed their concern to President Museveni at the Commonwealth summit conference last month. The United Nations and the World Health Organisation have said that Uganda may lose the chance to host an important permanent Aids research organisation if it passes the Bill. And anti-Aids activists have pointed out that the Bill would have only marginal effect on the fight against the disease, as homosexuals were responsible for less than one per cent of new infections last year. >>> Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
This is a clear example of the BBC taking leave of its senses! Shame on the BBC for asking such a ridiculous, cruel question! This subject is not worthy of debate. Period! – © Mark
THE GUARDIAN: Talkboard post seeks readers' views ahead of interactive World Service programme Africa Have Your Say
The BBC today asked users of its news website "Should homosexuals face execution?" on a talkboard discussion for a World Service programme for African listeners.
Posted on a BBC News premoderated talkboard, the thread was designed to provoke discussion ahead of the latest edition of interactive World Service programme Africa Have Your Say.
"Yes, we accept it is a stark and disturbing question, but this is the reality behind an anti-homosexuality bill being debated on Friday by the Ugandan parliament which would see some homosexual offences punishable by death," the post said.
The talkboard post asked users to send in their views to the programme, which goes out on the World Service and is also available online.
"Has Uganda gone too far? Should there be any level of legislation against homosexuality? Should homosexuals be protected by legislation as they are in South Africa? What would be the consequences of this bill to you? How will homosexual 'offences' be monitored?," the post added.
Premoderated posts included one from Chris, Guildford, posted at 8.59am, which attracted 51 recommendations of support. He wrote: "Totally agree. Ought to be imposed in the UK too, asap. Bring back some respectable family values. Why do we have to suffer 'gay pride' festivals? Would I be allowed to organise a 'straight pride' festival? No, thought as much!! If homosexuality is natural, as we are forced to believe, how can they sustain the species? I suggest all gays are put on a remote island somewhere and left for a generation - after which, theoretically there should be none left!"
Another, from Aaron in Freetown, said: "Bravo to the Ugandans for this wise decision, a bright step in eliminating this menace from your society. We hope other African nations will also follow your bold step." >>> Stephen Brook | Wednesday, December 16, 2009
PINK NEWS: BBC editors have defended allowing online readers to debate whether gays in Uganda should be executed, saying they accepted it was a "challenging question".
The discussion, on the broadcaster's Have Your Say feature, asked: "Should homosexuals face execution?"
The debate centres on Uganda, where an anti-gay bill is passing through parliament. It would impose execution or life imprisonment on gays, its sponsor David Bahati MP says.
Some commentators on the site, from both the UK and Africa, had agreed with the country's proposed law.
It was closed at around 4pm this afternoon after provoking a storm of anger on Twitter.
A number of readers emailed PinkNews.co.uk to complain that the question was offensive, arguing that readers would not be asked to debate the extermination of Jews in World War II. >>> Staff Writer, Pink News | Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ADVOCATE.COM: COMMENTARY: Kim Stolz wonders why certain U.S. senators refuse to comment on Uganda's "kill the gays" bill — a bill the White House, international human rights organizations, and even some typically conservative Christian groups have condemned.
In his State of the Union Address in January 2003, President George W. Bush gave one of his more eloquent and moving speeches about his upcoming HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention program, and included specific praise for the African country of Uganda in paving the way to lower AIDS population rates on the continent. This fall, the international community, feeling helpless and stunned, watched as severe antigay legislation was introduced in Uganda on Oct. 14, which called for a life imprisonment sentence for homosexual acts and the death sentence for those engaging in homosexual activity repeatedly and for any HIV-positive person doing so.
The current law in Uganda states that anyone who identifies as a homosexual, bisexual, or transgender should be sentenced to a minimum of 14 years imprisonment. While 14 years is the stated term, being convicted as an LGBT person commonly results in a life sentence. While it has never been safe to identifying as a gay person in Uganda, the bill introduced October 14, if passed, would make a nonstraight lifestyle impossible in the African country. The new legislation calls for a life sentence as a minimum punishment for any LGBT person and further states that anyone who fails to report a homosexual to the government within 24 hours will be sentenced to three years in prison. The final part of the bill is perhaps the most shocking, given Uganda’s history of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. It states that death by hanging is the punishment for “aggravated homosexuality,” which is defined as any of the following: a repeat offender of the homosexuality law, having homosexual sex when any intoxicating substance is involved (for instance, if two men meet at a bar, buy each other a drink and then have sex, both of these men would be sentenced to death,) if one engages in homosexual activity as an authority figure, and finally, having sex if you’re HIV-positive.
After hearing about the new “kill the gays” legislation in Uganda, President Obama, international human rights groups (specifically Human Rights Watch), and various public figures around the world made statements against the proposed law. In fact, Christian groups, which have remained divided on issues like civil unions and gay marriage, came together to oppose the flagrant human rights violation. Still, though, among the authority figures who strictly opposed the potential law, there were a few famous and prominent faces in the crowd — familiar faces to the Ugandan government — who connect through a wide “family” network and are now hiding from the accusations that they may actually be connected to this disgusting and murderous legislation. >>> Kim Stolz | Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Saturday, December 05, 2009
THE GUARDIAN: Defence attorneys for Bobby Wayne Woods argued for state to spare inmate following low scores on IQ tests
Texas has executed a child killer at the centre of a bitter dispute over what defines legal mental impairment after several courts ruled that he could be put to death despite a low IQ.
Bobby Wayne Woods, 44, was killed by lethal injection for raping and murdering his girlfriend's 11-year-old daughter after the US supreme court denied a last minute appeal by lawyers who argued that the condemned man fell within a ruling by the same court in 2002 that the mentally impaired could not be sentenced to death.
After being told that the supreme court had refused to intervene, Woods' last words were: "Bye. I'm ready."
Tests on Woods in prison put his IQ as low as 68, below the widely accepted cut off for mental impairment of 70. However, in pursuing the death penalty, the state fell back on other tests conducted when he was a child that put his IQ as high as 86.
Maurie Levin, a University of Texas law professor who represented Woods, said that he is "transparently childlike and simple" and described the execution as "a travesty".
Despite the supreme court ruling seven years ago barring the death penalty for the mentally impaired, individual states are left to decide what defines severe learning disabilities. The court said that an IQ test of "around 70" was an indicator but did not set a specific test.
Recent studies have shown that men with IQ scores lower than 70 have been executed in several states, including Texas and Alabama. Texas executes man at centre of mental disability row >>> Chris McGreal in Washington | Friday, December 04, 2009
LE FIGARO: Texas : un homme souffrant de retard mental exécuté : Bobby Woods a été condamné à mort pour le meurtre d'une petite fille. Son exécution relance le débat de la peine de mort des attardés mentaux, interdite depuis 2002 par la Cour suprême. >>> J.J. (lefigaro.fr) avec agences | Vendredi 04 Décembre 2009
NZZ ONLINE: Todesurteil an Kindermörder in USA vollstreckt >>> sda/afp | Freitag, 04. Dezember 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
THE TELEGRAPH: A convicted murderer faces execution in Texas after jurors consulted the Bible while deliberating on his sentence.
Amnesty International has appealed to the state to commute the sentence on Khristian Oliver, 32, who is due to die on November 5.
He was sentenced to death in 1999 for murdering a man whose home Oliver was burgling. The victim was shot in the face and beaten with his own rifle.
It later emerged that while deciding whether he should be given the death penalty, jurors consulted the Bible. Four jury members admitted that several copies had been in the jury room and that highlighted passages were passed around.
At one point, a juror reportedly read aloud from a copy, including the passage: "And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death."
Defence lawyers argued in appeals that jurors had been improperly influenced by the Bibles but the trial judge rejected the claim, a decision upheld by a Texas appeals court.
The US constitution calls for the separation of state and religion. In 2005, the state supreme court in Colorado overturned a death penalty on a convicted murderer because jurors had consulted the Bible while deliberating over his sentence. >>> Tom Leonard in New York | Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
PBS / FRONTLINE / INTRODUCTION: In the spring of 1980, America was at a dramatic crossroads in the Middle East: President Carter's attempt to rescue U.S. hostages in Iran had just ended in failure, oil prices were rising steadily, and the U.S. economy was in shambles. At that moment, the PBS series WORLD -- the precursor to FRONTLINE® -- broadcast perhaps the most controversial film in the history of public television.
Amid a clamor of political uproar and international front-page headlines, "Death of a Princess" told the true story of a young Saudi princess and her lover who had been publicly executed for adultery. The broadcast ignited protests from both the Saudi Arabian and U.S. governments and big oil companies. >>> | April 19, 2005
Death of a Princess >>>
House of Saud >>>
THE INDEPENDENT: Chairman of home affairs committee welcomes decision to give sanctuary to woman with illegitimate child
Ministers are considering asylum applications for 10 Saudi Arabian nationals who claim they are at risk of persecution if they are forced to return to the Middle Eastern kingdom, it emerged last night.
The new cases were made public after The Independent revealed the plight of a Saudi princess who was granted asylum in Britain after she had an illegitimate child with a British man.
The young woman, who has also been granted anonymity by the courts, won her claim for asylum after she told a court that she faced execution if her husband found out about her adultery and she was forced to return to Saudi Arabia.
Immigration and asylum experts said last night that asylum cases from women fleeing the kingdom were very rare. But Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said of the case: "This is the kind of person that our asylum laws are designed to protect. A woman and her unborn child should under no circumstances be sent back to a country where it is likely that they will be harmed. I welcome the decision made in this case."
New figures released by the Home Office also showed that a further 15 Saudis were refused asylum by the Government last year. There are no details about the sex of each of the applicants nor for the number of asylum applications received this year.
Mr Vaz called for more information to be made public about claims from Saudi Arabia. He said: "This is a country with a questionable human rights record. It is important to make clear the number of people who are fleeing similar treatment."
The princess's case is one of a small number of claims for asylum brought by citizens of Saudi Arabia which are not openly acknowledged by either government. British diplomats believe that to do so would in effect highlight the persecution of women in Saudi Arabia, which would be viewed as open criticism of the House of Saud and lead to embarrassing publicity for both governments.
The woman, who comes from a very wealthy Saudi family, says she met her English boyfriend – who is not a Muslim – during a visit to London. They struck up a relationship after he gave her his telephone number in a department store. She became pregnant the following year and worried that her elderly husband – a member of the royal family of Saudi Arabia – had become suspicious of her behaviour, she persuaded him to let her visit the UK again to give birth in secret. She feared for her life if she returned to Saudi Arabia.
She persuaded the court that if she returned to the kingdom she would be subject to capital punishment under Sharia law – specifically flogging and stoning to death. She was also worried about the possibility of an honour killing. Since she fled Saudi Arabia, her family and her husband's family have broken off contact with her. >>> Robert Verkaik, Home Affairs Editor | Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
RADIO FREE EUROPE / RADIO LIBERTY: Two Iranian women jailed in Iran's notorious Evin prison for converting from Islam to Christianity may be executed for apostasy, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.
Amir Javadzadeh, a broadcaster for the London-based Christian radio station Channel of Affection, told Radio Farda that the two women could be put to death even though "they were not politically active at all." He said they "just wanted to serve people according to the Bible."
The two women, Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, and Maryam Rustampoor, 27, were arrested in March, although they "converted to Christianity about 10 years ago," Javadzadeh said. He added that they became Christians after "spending a lot of time studying the religion and helping others."
They were held in solitary confinement for three weeks in May and June.
Recent judicial revisions in Iran outlaw the death sentence for apostasy. But until the provisions are finalized, there is still a danger they will not be followed, Alexa Papadouris, director of the religious rights group Christianity Solidarity Worldwide, told BosNewsLife on July 14. [Source: RFE/RL]
Saturday, June 27, 2009
TIMES ONLINE: A hardline cleric close to the Iranian regime demanded the execution of leading demonstrators yesterday as the opposition ended the week in disarray.
In a televised sermon at Friday prayers in Tehran, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami called on the judiciary to “punish leading rioters firmly and without showing any mercy to teach everyone a lesson”. He said that those leaders were backed by the United States and Israel. They should be treated as mohareb — people who wage war against God — and deserved execution.
In a clear warning to all other dissenters, he declared: “Anybody who fights against the Islamic system or the leader of Islamic society, fight him until complete destruction.” Leading demonstrators must be executed, Ayatollah Khatami demands >>> Martin Fletcher | Saturday, June 27, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)