Saudi Arabia Asked to Stop the Death Penalty

Institute Amnesty International (AI) called for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to stop the death penalty that they did to the prisoners. The appeal was filed after a significant increase in the number of prisoners in the country in pieces than last year.

Reporting from the CNN page, Saturday, June 11, 2011, AI see the trend of increased capital punishment in Saudi Arabia in the last six weeks. According to data from AI, Saudi Arabia this year alone has put to death 27 people. This amount is equal to the total number of prisoners executed in 2010.

Five of the condemned to death are foreigners. A total of 100 inmates threatened other pieces mostly foreign nationals. They are expected to soon meet death in a few months away.

"The government of Saudi Arabia must stop this terrible pattern, which puts this country contrary to the trend of capital punishment worldwide," said Philip Luther, deputy director of AI's Middle East and North Africa.

AI also deplore the lack of clear legal procedures for prisoners in this country. They say that some of the detainees are not accompanied by counsel at the preliminary inquiry. Some of them, write the AI, even under pressure from the authorities at the prison.

Saudi Arabia ranked fourth highest number of executions after China, Iran and Iraq. Meanwhile, the United States ranked fifth.

According to data from the AI​​, at least 158 people, including 76 foreign nationals executed in Saudi Arabia in 2007. In 2008, as many as 102 people were executed, 40 foreign nationals. In 2009, 69 executed, 79 of them foreigners. In 2010 the numbers decreased again, 27 people were executed, six foreign nationals.