Despite committing to not using execution for drug offences, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has on Tuesday executed two citizens for drug offences. In the last fortnight, 17 people have been executed.
Hussein Abo al-Kheir, a Jordanian man who is currently on death row was arrested in 2014 for smuggling narcotics into Saudi Arabia from Jordan. His confession was the result of torture, including being suspended from his feet and beaten on his stomach and legs. A UN working group on arbitrary detention has said his arrest was arbitrary and he should be released immediately.
To read more, see Patrick Wintour’s article in The Guardian.
AUSTRALIANS AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT 