According to sueddeutsche.de,  on Monday Al Riyadh, a Saudi Arabian newspaper, reported that a 12 year old boy is awaiting to be beheaded for an alleged murder of another Saudi boy. Meanwhile the boy’s mother is trying to collect the “blood money” to pay to the family of the alleged victim. According to Al-Riyadh, The victims family has demanded three million Rials (about $800,000 USD) to pardon the boy.

The boys mother has only been able to collect less than 10% of the money (250,000 Rials) and has asked for donations to save her son’s life from imminent execution.

 Source: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/,ra2l1/panorama/artikel/432/133185/

Background Information: Saudi Arabia beheaded another child last month. Due to the strict secrecy of the criminal justice system, it is not possible to know how many juvenile offenders have been put to death in Saudi Arabia, but according to a media report, over 100 juvenile offenders are said to be on death row. They include Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan national who was 17 at the time of the alleged murder for which she was sentenced to death following her arrest in 2005. They may also include Sultan Kohail, a 16-year-old Canadian national who was tried early this year on murder charges along with his brother Mohamed Kohail, aged 22. Trial proceedings usually take place behind closed doors without adequate legal representation, and invariably fall short of international fair trial standards. Both children and adults are often convicted on the basis of “confessions” obtained under duress, including torture or other ill-treatment during incommunicado detention. International law prohibits Saudi Arabia from executing people for crimes committed when they are below the age of 18. Saudi Arabian officials have maintained that they comply with this obligation, contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Stop Child Executions Campaign strongly condemns child executions by Saudi Arabia and demand an immediate halt to this practice.

URGENT ACTION: Write to following Saudi leaders referring to the Saudi newspaper report and demand a stop to the execution of children in compliance with UN children Rights Conventions.  

His Royal Highness Prince Naif bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Al-Saud – Minister of the Interior

Some 500 children are currently in Yemeni prisons, often alongside adult criminals, says a new report on children, released by the Rights and Freedoms Committee of the Consultative Council.

Nine children from various governorates have been sentenced to death, though they are under the age of 18, says the report.

A total of 109 juveniles have been accused of serious crimes, including murder, manslaughter, and attempted murder.

45 of these children are between the ages of 12 and 15.

Some 66 children are between 16 and 18.

The report criticized the way courts view the children as criminals, and said this resulted from the lack of specialised juvenile judges and prosecutors in some governorates. It also highlighted the need for female juveniles to be guarded by female police in all prisons. “The policemen are not trained how to deal with juveniles.”

The report also stated that many juveniles are held in crowded prisons in unhealthy and inhuman conditions, which risks their health.

Sources: NewsYemen, Yemen Observer