They took part in anti-government protests when they were young and now face the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, which will host the Football World Cup in 2034. Amnesty International tells the story of Abdullah al Derazi and Jalal. Labbad, both were under eighteen years of age at the time of the alleged crimes. According to the international organization defending human rights, the trials of the two boys were based mainly on confessions obtained through torture and without adequate legal assistance.
In the streets against the state
The case dates back to 2014, when Abdullah al-Derazi was 17 years old and participated in protests in Al-Qatif on the grounds that he “shouted slogans against the state and caused chaos” and “joined the terrorist communication network”. In the Special Criminal Court documents reviewed by Amnesty International, we read about the crimes of “aiming to eliminate internal security” and “attacking security officers with Molotov cocktails”. The boy told the court he had been held in pre-trial detention for three years and had no access to legal representation during that time. According to judicial documents reviewed by the international organization, the young man requested from the judge “an independent medical evaluation that would reveal the torture I was subjected to.” Reports from Dammam hospital show that my treatment is continuing. He was beaten on the ears during interrogation”. The Special Criminal Court did not investigate these allegations of torture, and on August 8, 2022, the Supreme Court approved the death penalty. As Amnesty International activists revealed, the sentence has now also been secretly approved by the Supreme Court.
torture victims
Jalal Labbad is known to have been between 15 and 17 years old at the time of the alleged crime. He was also subjected to physical and psychological torture. The young man said he was “in solitary confinement for nine and a half months”, “beaten” and “given electric shocks all over my body, especially my genitals”. The two children will no longer be able to appeal and could be sentenced to death at any time. Amnesty International activated an online call to ask King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud not to confirm the sentences because “the trials were deeply unfair and lacked procedural safeguards.” In its statement, the organization stated that the court did not investigate the allegations of torture and ill-treatment and emphasized that “Saudi authorities reneged on their promise to end the death penalty for the crimes committed by sentencing two prisoners to death.” by minors”.
Foot Washing
Saudi Arabia will host the World Football Cup in 2034. The organization was given to him by FIFA on October 31 due to the tremendous pressure in the football world, especially in Europe. This Gulf nation, rich in oil resources, has invested almost 1 billion euros in its championship, the Saudi Pro League, in just one year. Following Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been attracted to Saudi money since last year after his bad experience with Manchester United, some of the heroes of the Italian championship, such as Neymar, 2022 Golden Ball winner Karim Benzema and former Inter player Marcelo Brozovic, also reached the Saudi championship. . Even Roberto Mancini, the former coach of the Italian national football team, bowed out in leading the Saudi selection. Saudi Arabia, which has long guaranteed the organization of tournaments such as the Italian and Spanish Super Cups, will organize the Asian Cup in 2027 for the first time since 1956. According to analysts, these operations foot washingIt is part of a broader strategy to clean up the Saudis’ international image and hide human rights violations and discrimination against women and the LGBT+ community occurring in the country.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
