We attach the death penalty report for mid October to mid November thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. We are delighted to include the news of Ali Al Nimr’s release from prison in Saudi. Ali was the subject of a world wide campaign and members of the Salisbury group also campaigned on his behalf.
Good news! Ali al Nimr released
We are delighted to report that after a long campaign by Amnesty, Reprieve and other organisations, Ali al Nimr has been released from prison in Saudi Arabia. It can sometimes feel that campaigning for the release of people held for their beliefs or opposition to the government is a lost cause. This shows that it can sometimes work and the full story and background can be seen here in a statement by Reprieve.
Death penalty report: Jan-Feb
The latest monthly death penalty report is attached with thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it.
Birthday greetings to Ali al Nimr
Saudi Arabia: Send a message to Ali al Nimr for his birthday
This is a post from Reprieve.
Ali al-Nimr will turn 26 years old on December 20, 2020.
He’s been locked away from his family for seven years, and on death row in Saudi Arabia for five.
His so-called ‘crimes’ include “explaining how to give first aid to protesters.” For that, Ali was tortured until he signed a ‘confession’.
Ali shouldn’t be on death row. He shouldn’t be alone on his birthday. For further details see this link to a previous post.
Will you write a message to Ali for his birthday and remind him that he is not alone?
Ali al-Nimr: Saudi Arabia
Reprieve have highlighted again the plight of Ali al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia
Arrested as a minor and confession achieved through torture
Ali al-Nimr was 17 years old – a minor – when he was arrested on 14 February 2012 in Qatif, a town in Saudi Arabia known to be a centre for pro-democracy demonstrations. After his arrest, officers of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Directorate interrogated and tortured him. Ali signed a confession that one of his interrogators wrote for him, even though he did not understand what he was signing. Throughout his interrogation and prior to his trial Saudi authorities denied Ali the right to speak with a lawyer.
Reprieve, in a recent communication say:
Ali has spent the last 6 years on death row with the threat of execution hanging over him. A threat made worse by coronavirus. Our investigators, lawyers and campaigners are working hard to free Ali and others who were sentenced to death as children in Saudi Arabia.
With your help, we’ve made sure Ali’s life has been protected so far by making sure British politicians speak up for him. But this is not an easy campaign – and it’s not one we can pause for a moment, even during this pandemic. 20 April 2020
Amnesty has campaigned on his behalf and a post with the mother’s story can be read here.
When Ali’s story first surfaced, the UK’s shameful role in promoting Saudi Arabia’s membership of the UN’s human rights council was revealed via Wikileaks.
Reprieve notes that Saudi has executed its 800th individual in 5 years. Since King Salman bin Abdulaziz came to power five years ago, the execution rate has doubled from the previous 5 years.
We urge you to take action and this can simply done via the Reprieve site the link for which is below:
https://reprieve.org.uk/take-action/
Picture: Amnesty
Sources: Reprieve; Amnesty International; American for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain; Independent
[update 22 April with different picture]
Death penalty report – January
Attached is the death penalty report for the mid December – January period prepared by group member Lesley. Some good news especially in Texas – a state with a high use of this punishment – but elsewhere in the world, a depressing number of countries in the list.
Saudi executions imminent
“Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty to silence dissent sends a chilling message to anybody who dares to speak out against the authorities.” James Lynch
The families of three young men arrested for their involvement in anti-government protests while under the age of 18, fear their sons are among four people reported to be facing execution tomorrow, Amnesty International said today.
The family of Ali al-Nimr expressed fears on social media that he, along with Dawood Hussein al-Marhoon and Abdullah Hasan al-Zaher, is among the prisoners referred to in a government-run newspaper article published today. The article said the scheduled executions will complete a wave of punishments for terrorism offences that saw 47 people executed on the same day in January.
See the full story:
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 