SAUDI ARABIA DISPROPORTIONATELY EXECUTES FOREIGNERS AND THE POOR

October 14, 2008: human rights watchdog Amnesty International said that the Saudi Arabian government "continues to execute people at an average of more than two a week.''
Almost half of them are migrant labourers from poor and developing countries, it said in a report. Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa director Malcolm Smart said "We have witnessed a sharp rise in executions of prisoners sentenced in largely secret and unfair trials, making the need for a moratorium more urgent than ever,'' he said.
"The death penalty is carried out disproportionately and discriminately on national or ethnic grounds against poor foreign workers and Saudi Arabian nationals who lack the family or other connections that, fortunately, help others to be saved from execution,'' Smart said.
Amnesty said that defendants, particularly poor migrant workers from developing countries in Africa and Asia, often have no defence lawyer and are unable to follow the court proceedings which are in Arabic.
"The process by which the death penalty is imposed and carried out is harsh, largely secretive and grossly unfair,'' Smart said. Judges have "wide discretion and can hand down death sentences for vaguely worded and non-violent offences.''
Execution is usually by beheading, generally in public. "In some cases, crucifixion follows execution,'' Amnesty said. (Sources: The Australian, 14/10/2008)