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Saudi Arabian court deals out paralysis as punishment

Livewire

Livewire

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    • (CNN) -- Rights group Amnesty International has condemned a reported Saudi court ruling sentencing a man to be paralyzed as retribution for having paralyzed another man as "outrageous."

    In a statement issued Tuesday, the rights group called the punishment "torture," adding that it "should on no account be carried out."

    Local media reports about the case surfaced over the weekend.

    The Saudi Gazette, an English language daily paper, reported that Ali Al-Khawahir was 14 when he stabbed and paralyzed his best friend 10 years ago.

    Al-Khawahir, who has been in prison ever since, has been sentenced to be paralyzed if he cannot come up with one million Saudi Riyals ($266,000) in compensation to be paid to the victim, the newspaper reported.

    CNN cannot independently verify the reports.

    "Paralyzing someone as punishment for a crime would be torture," said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa deputy director.

    "That such a punishment might be implemented is utterly shocking, even in a context where flogging is frequently imposed as a punishment for some offenses, as happens in Saudi Arabia."

    The rights group calls this an example of a "qisas," or retribution, case, adding that "other sentences passed have included eye-gouging, tooth extraction, and death in cases of murder.

    "In such cases, the victim can demand the punishment be carried out, request financial compensation or grant a conditional or unconditional pardon."
    Click to expand...

    [Source]

    Gotta love medieval punishments!
     
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    Kanzler

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    • Is that even in the Qu'ran? Anyways the highest Court has turned down this punishment in the past. It's probably some village hicks who don't know any better. That's the reason why brutal punishment still occur in countries like Iran, where stonings have been put on moratorium and banned, but they still happen because municipal/local courts get away with it and nobody finds out.
     
    Esper

    Esper

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    • As much as I don't like the idea of weird/torturous punishments by themselves, it seems even worse that you can pay money to lessen the punishment. That makes it seem extra unfair, particularly if you're a kid when you commit a crime and have no chance to make any money since you've been in jail since. It even seems harsh on families who might feel obligated to pay this retribution when they can't afford it.

    Like, imagine someone in your family stabbing someone and going to jail. How awful, right? They'll be in jail for, I dunno, 10 years or something. Now imagine that a judge says to your family member that if they can pay $100,000 the punishment will be lifted. Your family member looks over to you with this helpless look in their eyes and you start doing math in your head to see what it would take to come up with that $100,000.
     

    Kanzler

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    • Nah I don't really see it as obligation. You don't have to pay, just face the penalty like in 99% of other countries in the world. It's more choice for rich people! The money is to recompensate the family for the damage done. It's kind of like murder vs. lawsuit.
     
    Echidna

    Echidna

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    • An Eye For An Eye - Even in Law?

    Saudi court orders man to be paralyzed as an Islamic punishment
    A young Saudi man faces being forcibly paralyzed as a punishment under Islamic sharia law for a crime that left his victim confined to a wheelchair – a ruling condemned by a human rights group Thursday.

    Ali al-Khawaher, 24, was convicted of stabbing a childhood friend in the spine during a dispute a decade ago, according to reports in Saudi Arabian media including Al Hayat and Al Watan (link in Arabic).

    Under sharia law, courts may set an eye-for-an-eye punishment for crimes – but victims may pardon convicts in exchange for so-called blood money.

    In this case, the victim requested $533,000 – an amount he later reduced to $266,000 – but al-Khawaher's mother told Al Hayat she did not have even a fraction of this money, meaning the court can issue an order for retribution instead.

    Although the stabbing happened in 2003, the court order was only issued on Saturday.
    "Ten years have passed with hundreds of sleepless nights," Al Hayat quoted al-Khawaher's mother as saying. "My hair has become grey at a young age because of my son's problem. I have been frightened to death whenever I think about my son's fate and that he will have to be paralyzed."

    Amnesty International condemned the punishment.

    "Paralyzing someone as punishment for a crime would be torture," said Ann Harrison, the organization's Middle East and North Africa deputy director.

    "That such a punishment might be implemented is utterly shocking, even in a context where flogging is frequently imposed as a punishment for some offences, as happens in Saudi Arabia," she added. "It is time the authorities in Saudi Arabia start respecting their international legal obligations and remove these terrible punishments from the law."

    Saudi judges have in the past ordered sharia punishments that include tooth extraction, flogging, eye gouging and -- in murder cases -- death, Reuters reported.

    U.K. Islamic commentator Ajmal Masroor told the U.K.'s Sky News channel that even most Muslims would be "startled" by the court ruling, adding: "I cannot fathom where they would find a doctor willing to carry out such an act."
    Click to expand...
    Source: [Link]

    An eye-for-an-eye has always been a concept adapted by law in many countries, some less than others. What do you think of this case and others like it around the globe?

    Discuss.

    EDIT: Heh, didn't see that thread there :p
     
    Last edited:
    Esper

    Esper

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    • BlahISuck said:
    Nah I don't really see it as obligation. You don't have to pay, just face the penalty like in 99% of other countries in the world. It's more choice for rich people! The money is to recompensate the family for the damage done. It's kind of like murder vs. lawsuit.
    Click to expand...
    That's part of why I don't like it. It's a way for rich people to get away with crimes and/or get more lenient punishments. The money issue just muddles things. Someone who's been wronged by a rich person might decide they want money because they're poor or greedy or whatever, and the offender gets to go and commit a crime against someone else in the future.
     

    Kanzler

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    • True say. The Saudis have been updating women's and human rights recently though, I feel this is a bit of an anomaly. Somebody clearly didn't get the memo.

    Any Muslims here to call them out on their interpretation?


    Posted from Pokecommunity.com App for Android
     
    Echidna

    Echidna

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    • BlahISuck said:
    True say. The Saudis have been updating women's and human rights recently though, I feel this is a bit of an anomaly. Somebody clearly didn't get the memo.

    Any Muslims here to call them out on their interpretation?


    Posted from Pokecommunity.com App for Android
    Click to expand...

    I'm a Muslim, but I can't really call them out because Islam does call for said punishments. However, the punishments, when listed, came with a sort of notice to 'follow the times' if you will. In other words, because humanity has grown out of physical injury as a method of punishment, these methods are not valid anymore.

    So basically, the Islamic crime-punishment system was designed to keep up with the times you know? :p
     

    Kanzler

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    • Hmmm... apparently Sharia doesn't use precedents, but I suppose that's a good thing whenever you have a liberal judge do things his own way. But from what I've read, judicial punishment isn't ordered by the court, it's a right granted by the court to the aggrieved party. The court kinds of mediates this vengence, so I don't think they see themselves as doing wrong, they're just allowing the victims what they deserve.
     
    Esper

    Esper

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    • The Saudi government is now saying that this never happened. I would like to see definitive proof, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they're lying to cover for the bad press their country has received. Regardless, it's kind of sad that something as simple as a court ruling can't be verified. I would guess that freedom of the press isn't very common in Saudi Arabia.
     

    Kanzler

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    • It was misreported by sensationalist media. The updated (2 hours ago) report says "Saudi Arabia has said that the surgical paralyzation sentence will not be carried out, the BBC reported Tuesday. According to a message reportedly posted on the justice ministry's Twitter account, the judge in the case has dismissed demands for such a sentence." Let's talk about the freedom of the press here to bs as they will. Like not reporting on how almost a third of delegates at the People's National Congress voted no for an environmental bill. Usually they vote yes like 95%.

    I love you Australia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xmXioAGhwI
     
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