More Saudi justice

[RedRalph]

From BBC. In my opinion probably the worst govt around

Human Rights Watch has appealed to Saudi Arabia to halt the execution of a woman convicted of witchcraft.
In a letter to King Abdullah, the rights group described the trial and conviction of Fawza Falih as a miscarriage of justice.

The illiterate woman was detained by religious police in 2005 and allegedly beaten and forced to fingerprint a confession that she could not read.

Among her accusers was a man who alleged she made him impotent.

Human Rights Watch said that Ms Falih had exhausted all her chances of appealing against her death sentence and she could only now be saved if King Abdullah intervened.

'Undefined' crime

The US-based group is asking the Saudi ruler to void Ms Falih's conviction and to bring charges against the religious police who detained her and are alleged to have mistreated her.

Its letter to King Abdullah says the woman was tried for the undefined crime of witchcraft and that her conviction was on the basis of the written statements of witnesses who said that she had bewitched them.

Human Rights Watch says the trial failed to meet the safeguards in the Saudi justice system.

The confession which the defendant was forced to fingerprint was not even read out to her, the group says.

Also Ms Falih and her representatives were not allowed to attend most of the hearings.

When an appeal court decided she should not be executed, the law courts imposed the death sentence again, arguing that it would be in the public interest.

 

[Phlegmak]

From BBC. In my opinion probably the worst govt around

Nah. North Korea's worse.

 

[warpus]

/me waits with a shovel to argue against those who believe in demons and witches..

 

[dosed150]

it really seems we changed the regimes in the wrong countries, this just goes to show how backward the saudis really are

 

[Pannonius]

Saudi Arabia- an uncivilised (hardly) medieval psycho regime thats holding the world hostage of their oil.

 

[Godwynn]

And we're still selling them billions of dollars worth of weapons.

 

[kramerfan86]

Oh but they are a valued ally of freedom in the war on terror

 

[cFccFc]

yes they are. And do you think that without US support it would be any better? Bush has pushed the saudi king to stop and illegalize the old jihadschools, and been pushing for the allowance of democratic movements. If the saudi king where tripled, the replacers would not be any better from a western perspective.

 

[kramerfan86]

yes they are. And do you think that without US support it would be any better? Bush has pushed the saudi king to stop and illegalize the old jihadschools, and been pushing for the allowance of democratic movements. If the saudi king where tripled, the replacers would not be any better from a western perspective.

When we give these scum weaponary and support the blood of their tyranny is on our hands too. Its disgusting the US has the nerve to proclaim ourselves leader of the free world while propping up the Pakistan and Saudi Arabias of the world.

 

[West 36]

I was starting to miss those good old medieval days.

 

[FriendlyFire]

yes they are. And do you think that without US support it would be any better? Bush has pushed the saudi king to stop and illegalize the old jihadschools, and been pushing for the allowance of democratic movements. If the saudi king where tripled, the replacers would not be any better from a western perspective.

should have though about that before getting into Iraq

 

[RedRalph]

Nah. North Korea's worse.

I'd rather live in North Korea to be honest. I'd rather be accused at a show trial than a witch trial. North Korea can be accused of being stuck in the 1950s, SA can legitimately be accused of being stuck in the 1250s. In any case, the Saudi government is totally beyond the pale. And the UK and US wonder why people laugh at their claims to support democracy. This isnt about them people will say, but thats like criticising Stasi and saying its nothing to do with the USSR.

 

[RedRalph]

yes they are. And do you think that without US support it would be any better? Bush has pushed the saudi king to stop and illegalize the old jihadschools, and been pushing for the allowance of democratic movements. If the saudi king where tripled, the replacers would not be any better from a western perspective.

to absolutely no effect (As Bush well knows). its just something good to be able to say when people criticise him for his support of SA. If he threatened to stop selling them weapons they might sit up and take notice.

 

[Luckymoose]

So they finally caught one of the witches, eh? Good, no more mischief for her.


But seriously how can any government believe this crap?

 

[emzie]

Nah. North Korea's worse.

Only because North Korea is so poor. Give North Korea the standard of living that is 'enjoyed' by Saudis, and I'd much prefer life there.

Wait I'm a guy, nm, Saudi Arabia it is.

 

[brennan]

And we're still selling them billions of dollars worth of weapons.

Tell me about it. The recent Typhoon/corruption fiasco was shameful.

 

[Arwon]

I'd rather live in North Korea to be honest. I'd rather be accused at a show trial than a witch trial. North Korea can be accused of being stuck in the 1950s, SA can legitimately be accused of being stuck in the 1250s. In any case, the Saudi government is totally beyond the pale. And the UK and US wonder why people laugh at their claims to support democracy. This isnt about them people will say, but thats like criticising Stasi and saying its nothing to do with the USSR.

It's not *strictly* a function of governmental merit, but you're less likely to starve to death in SA.

 

[Phlegmak]

I'd rather live in North Korea to be honest. I'd rather be accused at a show trial than a witch trial. North Korea can be accused of being stuck in the 1950s, SA can legitimately be accused of being stuck in the 1250s. In any case, the Saudi government is totally beyond the pale. And the UK and US wonder why people laugh at their claims to support democracy. This isnt about them people will say, but thats like criticising Stasi and saying its nothing to do with the USSR.

I'd prefer Saudi Arabia. North Korea is Oceania from 1984. In Saudi Arabia, I'd at least be able to leave. North Korea, not so much.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I thought that you atleast had to proove things in Saudi arabia.

 

[emzie]

I thought that you atleast had to proove things in Saudi arabia.

One court overturned her sentence, did you not read that?