Saudi Arabia puts an end to death penalty for minors

On 27 April, Saudi Arabia's state-backed Human Rights Commission issued a statement signalling an end to the death penalty for crimes committed as and by minors. Offenders will instead receive a prison sentence of no longer than 10 years in a juvenile detention facility.  Awwad Alawwad, the president of the Human Rights Commission, says the decree helps Saudi Arabia in establishing a more modern penal code. Optimistically, they will also adhere to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. These new developments would lead to the sparing of several men from the country's Shia minority.  However, Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's middle East and North Africa regional director says "while this is represents a significant step for Saudi Arabia if implemented, the country's continued use of the death penalty reached a shocking high last year with 184 recorded executions." And this decree will have no impact on these numbers.

Written by: Katyayani Nath