Saudi Abolishes Death Penalty for Convicts Who Commit Crimes as Minors
Saudi Arabia will no longer impose capital punishment for individuals who had committed crimes as minors, according to Okaz Arabic daily. A minor is a person under 18 years of age.
The President of the Human Rights Commission Awwad Alawwad welcomed the royal decree, saying “The decree helps us in establishing a more modern penal code, and demonstrates the Kingdom’s commitment to following through on key reforms across all sectors of our country as part of Vision 2030.”
Alawwad noted that the announcement comes just days after Saudi Arabia effectively ended the practice of flogging as a criminal punishment.
The decree means that any individuals who received a death sentence for crimes committed while he or she is a minor can no longer face execution.
Instead, the individual will receive a prison sentence of no longer than 10 years in a juvenile detention facility. “More reforms are coming,” Alawwad said.
