“Under international law, states that have not abolished the death penalty can only apply it to the ‘most serious crimes’, which involve intentional homicide,” the UN said. Dong Nhan Quyen Association-designated experts said in a statement, continued to urge the Saudi government to “abolish the death penalty for drug crimes”.
Hussein Abo al-Kheir was arrested at the Saudi border in 2014 while driving from Jordan.
Under the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Control Act 2005, he was sentenced to death for drug trafficking charges in 2015.
Use force
If Abo-al-Kheir’s execution is carried out, he will be the 21st person executed in Saudi Arabia since early November.
Experts say that during his pre-trial detention, he was allegedly tortured, held in solitary confinement, forcibly disappeared and eventually forced to sign a false confession.
Furthermore, he allegedly refused legal advice and access to consular information after his arrest.
Experts say that although Abo al-Kheir’s allegations of torture during his detention at Tabouk Central Prison since 2015 have not been investigated, it is clear that he has been denied medical assistance. economy despite declining physical and mental health and near blindness.
The use of evidence and confessions extracted during torture to sentence individuals to death not only violates the prohibition of torture, but also conflicts with the right to trial, the experts stressed. fair treatment under international law”.
‘Discriminatory treatment’
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention finds Abo al-Kheir’s deprivation of liberty arbitrary and has no legal basis, and calls for his release.
Last Friday, he was informed that he would be transferred to a “death cell” at Tabouk Central Prison.
Since November 10, 20 individuals, including 12 foreign nationals, have been executed by Saudi authorities.
“We are concerned that a large number of people sentenced to death for drug-related crimes are migrants,” the experts said.
“The practice is tantamount to discriminating against non-citizens.”
Experts say they are concerned that the executions happen without warning and are only confirmed after they take place in Saudi Arabia.
“Failure to promptly notify individuals on death row of their execution date constitutes a form of abuse,” they said.
Right to live
Also forewarned by Saudi Arabia’s decision to end the 21-month unofficial ban, experts say any measure aimed at abolishing the death penalty should be seen as progress towards exercise of the right to life.
By extension, the resumption of executions resulted in less protection of the right to life.
“We respectfully reiterate our call to the Government of Saudi Arabia to consider establishing a formal moratorium on all executions in order to completely abolish the death penalty and reduce the death penalty for those convicted of crimes. sentenced to death for drug offenses to imprisonment in accordance with international humanitarian law. human rights law,” said UN experts.
Experts
Click here for the names of those who spoke.
Special Rapporteur and independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council based in Geneva to check and report back about a particular human rights topic or a country situation. The positions are honorary and professionals are not paid for their work.
