Saudi Arabia Ends Death Penalty for Crimes Committed by Minors

King Salman of Saudi Arabia has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes that are committed by minors, according to a statement sent by a top official on April 26.

The decision of the king comes on the heels of another ordering judges to end the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or even community services and bringing one of the kingdom's most controversial forms of public punishment to an end.

King Salman's son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the brains behind the kingdom's loosening of restrictions and its change from conservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism. The crown prince has sought to modernize the country to attract foreign investment and revamp Saudi Arabia's reputation globally.

The prince has also overseen a parallel crackdown on liberals, women's rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and reformers. The 2018 killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey by agents who worked for the prince drew international criticism.

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The new decree can save lives

The latest royal decree by King Salman could spare the death penalty for six men from the country's minority Shiite community who is said to have committed crimes while under the age of 18. Some of the participated in anti-government protests and it is an activity that is related to terrorism in Saudi Arabia as it disturbs order and it means disobeying the ruler.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia executed a young man who was convicted of crimes that took place when he was 16 years old. Abdulkareem al-Hawaj was found guilty of offences related to his participation in protests in Shiite-populated areas of Saudi Arabia.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have long called on the kingdom to abolish the use of death penalty, especially for crimes that are committed by minors.

The president of the Saudi government's Human Rights Commission, Awwad Alawwad, confirmed the latest decision in a statement on April 26, saying that it helps the kingdom establish a more modern penal code and demonstrates the kingdom's commitment to following through on key reforms.

The decree expands on a previous order by King Salman issued in 2018, which set a maximum 10-year prison term for minors in certain cases, except for crimes that were punishable by death. The 10-year maximum applies to all crimes by minors with the possible exception of terrorism-related crimes.

The end of flogging

The Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia issued a directive to end flogging as a form of punishment sometime in April, according to a document seen by The Associated Press.

The public punishment of whipping a handcuffed prisoner for non-violent crimes had draw comparisons to the types of punishment carried out by extremist groups like the Islamic State. Saudi authorities had argued it was a form of deterrence against potential criminals but rights groups criticized the practice as inhumane.

The Supreme Court document stated the decision was in line with the kingdom's reforms and developments in the realm of human rights as directed by King Salman and overseen by the crown prince.