Saudi Arabia: Amnesty Calls Execution “Deeply Shocking”

After Amina bint Abdul Halim bin Salem Nasser was beheaded for sorcery in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Amnesty International condemned the execution of the Saudi national and stated it is “deeply shocking and highlights the urgent need for a halt in executions in Saudi Arabia.” “The charges of ‘witchcraft and sorcery’ are not defined as crimes in Saudi Arabia and to use them to subject someone to the cruel and extreme penalty of execution is truly appalling,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s interim Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program.

The London-based newspaper, al-Hayat, quoted a member of the religious police as saying “she was in her 60s and had tricked people into giving her money, claiming that she could cure their illnesses.” Amnesty said the execution was the second of its kind in recent months, as a Sudanese national was beheaded in Medina after being convicted on sorcery charges.