Executions have resumed in Saudi Arabia at an alarming rate since Ramadan.

© Amnesty International

7 October 2011

Eight Bangladeshi men have been executed in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Friday.

The migrant workers, who were beheaded in public, were sentenced to death for the alleged murder of an Egyptian man in April 2007.

Since the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, executions have resumed in Saudi Arabia at an alarming rate.

“Court proceedings in Saudi Arabia fall far short of international standards for fair trial and news of these recent multiple executions is deeply disturbing,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Middle East and North Africa.

“The Saudi authorities appear to have increased the number of executions in recent months, a move that puts the country at odds with the worldwide trend against the death penalty.”

“The government must establish an immediate moratorium on executions in the Kingdom and commute all death sentences, with a view to abolishing the death penalty completely,” she added.

The beheadings bring the number of executions in Saudi Arabia this year to at least 58, more than double than the 2010 figures. Twenty of those executed in 2011 were foreign nationals.

The Bangladeshi men who were executed are Ma'mun Abdul Mannan, Faruq Jamal, Sumon Miah, Mohammed Sumon, Shafiq al-Islam, Mas'ud Shamsul Haque, Abu al-Hussain Ahmed, Mutir al-Rahman.

According to reports, the Egyptian man was killed during a clash between the Bangladeshi workers and a group of men who allegedly were stealing electric cable from a building complex where the Bangladeshis worked.

Three other Bangladeshis were sentenced to prison terms and flogging.

Two other Saudi nationals were executed in the northern city of Tabuk, bringing the total number of executions on Friday to ten.

Many of those executed in Saudi Arabia in recent years have been foreign nationals, mostly migrant workers from poor and developing countries.
Defendants often have no defence lawyer and are unable to follow court proceedings in Arabic. They are also rarely allowed formal representation by a lawyer, and in many cases are not informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them.

They, and many of the Saudi Arabians who are executed, also have no access to influential figures such as government authorities or heads of tribes, nor to money, both crucial factors in paying blood money or securing a pardon in murder cases.

Saudi Arabia applies the death penalty for a wide range of offences.

They may be convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under duress or deception.

At least 158 people, including 76 foreign nationals, were executed by the Saudi Arabian authorities in 2007. In 2008 some 102 people, including almost 40 foreign nationals, were executed.

In 2009, at least 69 people are known to have been executed, including 19 foreign nationals and in 2010, at least 27 people were executed including six foreign nationals.

Pakistani journalist killed in Lahore

New York, October 7, 2011--A Lahore-based editor for a political news website was found dead early this morning, according to Pakistani news reports and the journalist's brother.

The body of Faisal Qureshi, 28, an editor for the London Post, was discovered about 2 a.m. by his brother, Zahid Qureshi, after family members found bloodstains outside the journalist's house, Zahid told Pakistani daily The Express Tribune. Police reports described the body as showing signs of torture, with the throat slit, The Express Tribune reported. The English-language daily The News ran a similar story, quoting police as saying, "Some unknown outlaws entered his house and killed him with a sharp-edged instrument."
Another brother of the journalist, Shahid, who lives in London, told CPJ that the killers had taken Faisal's laptop and telephone.
Shahid Qureshi, who has also written for the London Post, told CPJ that he and his brother had recently received death threats from men who claimed they were from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) political party. The London Post has run a series of stories on MQM leader Altan Hussain, describing his alleged flight to South Africa from England, where he is living in self-imposed exile, and has also, in an editorial, accused former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari of amassing overseas wealth of more than $8 billion by stealing U.S. foreign aid to the country. It was not immediately clear whether Sharif or Zardari responded publicly to the allegations.
"CPJ is concerned by the emerging details of this case, which is being watched closely by the international community. Given the circumstances, we call for the appointment of an independent committee to investigate this murder," said Bob Dietz, CPJ's Asia program coordinator. "Pakistan has a record of impunity which they must overcome."
MQM is Pakistan's third-largest political party, and is considered the country's largest secular political party, with Karachi and the Sindh region as its power base.
Pakistan was the deadliest country in the world in 2010, according to CPJ data. The country also ranked 10th on CPJ's global Impunity Index, which spotlights countries where journalists are regularly slain and authorities fail to solve the crimes. If Qureshi's death turns out to be due to his work as a journalist, he will be the fourth journalist to die this year in a targeted killing.

‘Zardari Network more dangerous than Haqqanis’

BAHAWALPUR: Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif has said the ‘Zardari Network’ is more dangerous than the Haqqani network for the country, as the Zardari-led government was bent upon destroying the institutions of the country. Talking to reporters here on Tuesday after condoling the death of PML-N MPA Mumtaz Jajja, who died of dengue fever recently, Nawaz said the PML-N manifesto would soon be presented before the people of Pakistan and soon protest movements would be launched to save the country. He said sacrificing a government was not a big deal to save the country. The PML-N chief said the country was passing through a critical situation and the federal government was showing complete indifference towards the worsening energy crisis, especially electricity shortage, in the country. He said the federal government was unconcerned about the plight of patients in hospitals and students in schools. He said dengue patients were suffering the most due to long unannounced power outages in the Punjab, specially Lahore and other big cities. He said despite prolonged loadshedding, people were being sent inflated electricity bills. Nawaz said the economic situation of the country has deteriorated, no investment is coming in and unemployment has reached alarming levels. He said the indifferent attitude of the rulers was unpardonable and it would have to face its consequences. He said machinery for power plants has been lying at the Karachi port for over two years, but the government has taken no steps to install them to overcome power crisis in the country. He said the federal government was solely responsible for the power crisis in the country. Nawaz said the energy crisis had severely damaged economy of the country. He said due to unprecedented loadshedding, sophisticated medical equipment for dengue patients in hospitals had been damaged. Nawaz said the US allegations and threats have placed Pakistan in a tight corner, but such situation could be handled if there is a political will on the part of the government. He termed the US allegations hollow and baseless. About charges levelled by Admiral Mike Mullen, Nawaz said those were nothing more than a statement, delivered to enhance his rating in the media. Nawaz said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was working round-the-clock to control dengue spread in the province. He said: “We have eradicated corruption and nepotism in the province.” Nawaz said CM Shahbaz Sharif was competent and patriotic person who was working to solve problems of the people. Earlier, Nawaz arrived at Jajja House along with Senior Advisor Zulfiqar Khosa and expressed his grief and offered Fateha for departed soul.

Threats from militants: Journalists stage rally 

The Balochistan Union of Journalists staged a demonstration outside the Quetta Press Club (QPC) on Saturday to protest threats to media persons from militants and other pressure groups.

Dozens of journalists from print and electronic media took part in the demonstration. They hoisted black flag atop the QPC building to record their protest. Later the protesters marched on different roads and thoroughfares of the city. They were carrying banners and placards and chanting slogans in favour of their demands. The rally culminated at the QPC where leaders of the journalists community addressed the participants.

The speakers included: President of the Balochistan Union of Journalists Essa Tareen, PFUJ Assistant Secretary Raza-ur-Rehman, President of Quetta Press Club Saleem Shahid and Newspaper Hawkers Union President Haji Muhammad Yousaf. They came down hard on the government for “its failure to stop the killing of media persons in the province