SAUDI ARABIA. GROUP SEEKS 400 PARDONS

July 16, 2007: Saudi Arabia's Higher Committee for Reconciliation is seeking pardons for 400 death row inmates through massive reconciliation efforts. The executive president of the committee, Nasser Al-Zahrani, recently met with Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and detailed the group's plans to seek pardons for 400 people currently awaiting death sentences, the Arab News reported.
"We are now working to save the lives of 400 others who are on death row. The committee connects convicted killers with the victim’s family members to reconcile their conflicts and receive pardons for the inmates' crimes, Arab News said. Since being established in 2001, the committee has won 117 pardons. The Arab News said the committee's efforts resolve such personal conflicts peacefully and strengthen overall social unity in Saudi Arabia. (Sources: UPI, 16/07/2007)