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"The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. No point in having drops falling onto his thobe during the next back swing: the man had done this before. Off-Topic Items. A thickly bearded soldier claps his hands and wipes them against each other in the airthats it. Alongside me, a young Saudi asked what did I think, to which I replied that, for me, it was really much too soon to think. Visit Saint-Martin-d'Heres: 2023 Travel Guide for Saint - Expedia Sign up to the Irish Times books newsletter for features, podcasts and more, Risn Ingle: Instead of being celebrated, Sinad OConnor was mocked, dismissed and derided for far too long, Sinad OConnor by Ryan Tubridy: She was rocknroll. Seattle's Breakaway CHOP Now Also a Sexual Assault Crime Scene Only the kneeler's neck is exposed. It cleaves skin, muscle, and bone with a hollow, echoing thud. "When they [death row prisoners] get to the execution square, their strength drains away. May 12, 2009 December 4, 2019 - by Adam St. Patrick Adam St. Patrick Updated 10:13, Dec. 4 . Then I read the execution order, and at a signal I cut the prisoner's head off.. All men who were at risk of capital punishment were in pretrial detention for nearly two years. In Riyadh, beheadings take place in a downtown public square equipped with a drain the size of a pizza box in its center. He moved on to the second prisoner in a measured pace, simultaneously back swinging and bearing down while still moving. Confirming that proceedings would take place immediately after mid day prayer, he advised me on access, and we agreed a meeting point. Get a D&B Hoovers Free Trial. Saudi Arabia executed a record 184 people in 2019, compared to 149 the year before, according to Amnesty figures. Support. [11][12] (Saudi Arabia had previously executed these people despite having signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In January 2022, at least 43 detainees, including 12 minors, were threatened with execution. How I survived chop chop square | William Sampson | The Guardian Indeed a man named Muri' al-'Asiri was executed last year in the southern town of Najran, as punishment for being a sorcerer. An affirmation or denial by oath can be required. [75], These are not isolated cases. That is why we depend on your support to keep our journalism accessible and independent. Comprehensive company profiles. Sixty or so men watch from the edge of a granite courtyard, behind a patchy line of eight soldiers in tan uniforms. [19] After a medical examiner inspects the body and then pronounces the convict dead, a police official announces the crimes committed by the beheaded convict once again and the process is complete. The crime of highway robbery is punished by cross amputation which involves the removal of the right hand and left foot. Then I read the execution order, and at a signal I cut the prisoner's head off," he said.[23]. [citation needed] As of April 2020, minors who commit crimes will no longer face execution when they turn 18, and would instead face a maximum of 10 years in juvenile detention facility. I spotted a policeman holding a clipboard, and assumed he awaited some official to sign for delivery. A community of Saint-Martin-d'Hres is a French town situated in the region of Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, in the south east of the country. Pausing to assess the line up, the executioner approached the first man, bent low by his ear, and simultaneously pressed the head a little lower with his right hand. However, one of those beheaded, Abdulkareem al-Hawaj, was arrested while attending an anti-government protest when he was aged just 16. No formal fanfare begins or ends them now, and nothing indicates awareness or concern about how alien this is to outsiders. In a Lebanese TV clip now on YouTube, a Saudi executioner shows off his swords and describes his approach: If the heart is compassionate, the hand fails.. Some 1,800 convicts were executed in Saudi Arabia between 1985 and 2008, yet reliable information about the practice is scarce. MINMAXMEDICAL Company Profile - Dun & Bradstreet Oh God, the brain had no time to tell the heart to stop, and the final beat pumped a gush of blood out of the headless torso onto the plinth. There is also no written penal code, so questions of illegality depend on the on-the-spot interpretations of police and judges. WALKING back to the car in the now subdued and departing crowd, I tried simply transposing the spectacle to my home environment. The most high profile example was that of Ali al-Khawahir, who was 14 when he stabbed a friend in the backbone, leaving him "completely paralysed" from the waist down. RIYADH (Reuters) - For decades, criminals in Saudi Arabia were lined up after Friday prayers at a central Riyadh plaza and beheaded by sword in a gruesome public spectacle overseen by the religious police. now. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. Meanwhile, restaurants are serving mocktails amid speculation alcohol could be permitted soon. [86] He was detained since May 2015 for participating in anti-government protests. For years, he was placed in solitary confinement and was brutally beaten several times. I showed up at 9 a.m. most days for several weeks. Within minutes the air was heavy with the babble of talk. In the middle is a police car, a yellow van, and the executioner in a crisp white dishdasha. Saudi Arabia conducts mass execution of 81 people - Yahoo News Whether that's talking his way out of problems in a Peruvian Police Station, getting mashed with the . Real-time trigger alerts. Corporal punishments as well as capital executions - by beheading - are carried out in public or in prison, depending on the court ruling. Had anyone been a witness to an execution in Saudi's 'Chop-Chop' Square? This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Expatriates call it Chop Chop Square. [89], On 15 December 2013, another Saudi citizen, Aqil Al-Fararj, was arrested due to a discrepancy in the chassis number of the vehicle he was driving. When you donate to The Walrus, youre helping writers, editors, and artists produce stories like the one youve just read. The crowd, sensing the imminence of the moment, fell totally silent. Some of the alleged crimes were committed when they were children, between the ages of 14 and 17. A Saudi woman, Amina bin Salem Nasser,[47] was executed for being convicted of practising sorcery and witchcraft in December 2011 in Al Jawf Region, and a Sudanese man (Abdul Hamid Bin Hussain Bin Moustafa al-Fakki) was executed in a car park in Medina for the same reason on 20 September 2011. A loudspeaker lists the decapitated mans crimes: rape, drug trafficking, and possession. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Locals are encouraged to take their children to the place of execution in 'Chop Chop Square', as this area of Riyadh is nicknamed, so they grow up knowing the dire consequences of breaking the . This is Saudi Arabia, one of the last places on earth where capital punishment is a public spectacle. he differed from all others by virtue of the black strap slung over his right shoulder coming together at his left hip. Beheading remains the most common form of execution and the sentence is traditionally carried out in a public square on a Friday after prayers. The ability of courts to decide for themselves sentences that fit the crime has led to sentences of qisas or retribution. came the predictable inquiry. [46], Muree bin Ali bin Issa al-Asiri, who was found in possession of talismans, was executed in the southern Najran province in June 2012. Yet for all his ambitions, the country still has the trappings of one caught in an altogether different era, particularly when it comes to its justice system. Charitable Registration Number: No. "Fancy a chop?" . For other inquiries, Contact Us. Sunlight flashes on the blade as he draws it above his head. If he doesnt kill for a few days, they give him a sheep to kill. The job is a coveted one, often passed from father to son. Chop Chop Square | Pro Death Penalty.com Discussion Board Main Pro Death Penalty Board. In order for an individual to be convicted in a Saudi sharia law court of adultery, he/she must confess to the act four times in front of the court; otherwise four pious male Muslims or two pious men and two women who witnessed the actual sexual penetration must testify in front of the court. He worked at a petrol station and got into an altercation about a jump lead a customer wanted a refund for and in the ensuing struggle struck the other man on the head, hitting his eye. Deera Square (Arabic: ), also known as Justice Square (Arabic: ),[1] is a public space in the ad-Dirah neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located adjacent to the al-Hukm Palace compound and Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in the Qasr al-Hukm District. [81] From the available sources about the Nimr al-Nimr case it seems that Saudi officials use the term "terrorism" as cover label for "thought crimes" which in other countries would be considered normal work of an opposition politician. "That such a punishment might be implemented is utterly shocking, even in a context where flogging is frequently imposed as a punishment for some offences, as happens in Saudi Arabia.". Standing to the left of the first prisoner, and a little behind him, the executioner focused on his quarry. now. Popular opinion seems to allow more respect for the executioners than sympathy for those wrongfully convicted, and rumours about the mysterious swordsmen abound. The torso slumped neatly. [citation needed] According to the Islamic sharia law, the burden of proof is on the accuser; and if only one of those witnesses retracted his/her testimony then the accused will be acquitted and the remaining witnesses will be prosecuted for perjury Quran 24:4. In 2011, six Bedouin tribesmen aged between 22 and 29 were sentenced to "cross amputation" for their part in robbery. The country has no written penal code and no code of criminal procedure and judicial procedure. Saudi has the third highest rate of executions in the world behind China and Iran, according to Amnesty. Death sentences are almost exclusively based on the system of judicial sentencing discretion (), following the classical principle of avoiding Sharia-prescribed penalties when possible.In recent decades, the government and the courts have increasingly issued these sentences, reacting to a rise in violent crime during the 1970s. But the 300million footie deal will leave the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Saudi Arabia executions - paralysis, eye gouging and - The Sun I had missed David in the race to find accessible side street parking. I arrived at the Al Manaqabah Lagoon well after noon, just across the road from the imposing Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, Mr al-Khawahir was not paralysed after his family agreed to pay his victim the one million riyals ($270,000) in compensation. The use of public beheading as the method of capital punishment and the number of executions have attracted strong international criticism. Financial Statements. now. In the capital Riyadh, public executions take place in the central Deera square, usually at 9am. We see joy, we see hope, we see everything has changed.. 2 min read Riyadh's "Chop Chop Square," where public executions are carried out mtcurado/iStock Saudi Arabia's state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Saturday that. Sixty or so men watch from the edge of a granite courtyard, behind a patchy line of eight soldiers in tan uniforms. Only the kneelers neck is exposed. [1], The kingdom executed at least 158 people in 2015,[2] at least 154 in 2016,[3] at least 146 in 2017,[4] 149 in 2018,[5] 184 in 2019,[6] 69 in 2020, and at least 116 in 2022. Whats certain is that the Koran guides the justice system, with some laws passed to address areas the holy book does not. [14] On March 12, 2022, Saudi Arabia executed 81 people, seven of whom were Yemenis and one of whom was a Syrian,[15] in the largest known mass execution in the history of the country.[16]. It rolled metres away People are amazed how fast [the sword] can separate the head from the body. Among the 47 people killed was Shia Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Will you join us in keeping independent journalism free and available to all? I saw David moving away, and I gestured a commitment to call him later. An hour or so later, I set off with some unease on the 10 minute drive into downtown Jeddah. Human Rights Watch says the majority of people are tortured to obtain confession and courts have not investigated it. ", READ: Saudi Arabia: Women Finally Allowed to Ride Bikes - as Long as Male Relative Present, READ: Saudi Arabia Beheads and Crucifies Yemeni for Sodomy, Amnesty Releases Final Words of Man Executed for Robbery. [21] For example, in 2009, the Saudi Gazette reported that "an Abha court had sentenced the leader of an armed gang to death and three-day crucifixion (public displaying of the beheaded body) and six other gang members to beheading for their role in jewelry store robberies in Asir. Then the real blow: The blade is drawn high up, then swung back down. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast, and onsite parking. Despite all Ive learned in the past two weeks, what is about to happen still seems impossible. The 12-step program. Eorzea Database: Slap an' Chop | FINAL FANTASY XIV, The Lodestone Clickheretouploadyours. Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia is a legal penalty. Copy to clipboard failed. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons August 4, 2021 By Associated Press RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) Saudi Arabia announced the. [51] Forty-three were beheaded and four were executed by firing squads. )[13] Nonetheless, there were 67 executions in 2021, more than doubling the previous year's, according to the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights. Saudi Arabia are executing so many people they need EIGHT new recruits [80] Nimr al Nimr was executed on 2 January 2016, along with 46 other people, mostly terrorists arrested in the 2000s. DP News Articles - Attributed. Intensely, my eyes scanned each man in turn, fruitlessly searching out any sign of fear or distress. [23] Once an execution goes ahead, his only conversation with the prisoner is to tell him or her to recite the Muslim declaration of belief, the Shahada. After the beheading of the condemned, the head is stitched to the body, which is wrapped up and taken away for the final rites. He huddles with two police officers and the one person who can make this stop: the victim of the crime thats being punished. [76], In practice, capital punishment has also been used to sentence political protesters. SAUDI Arabia's medieval punishments are in the spotlight asthe country's investment fund looks to set to take over Newcastle United. Amputation is a punishment for theft, with the person convicted having their right hand removed. The Walrus is located within the bounds of Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. - todayilearned. Some small groups had already gathered on the elevated lawn by the mosque to claim their vantage point. The Saudi interpretation of the Koran discourages all forms of evidence other than confessions and eyewitness accounts in capital trials, on the theory that doing otherwise would leave too much discretion to the judge. Beheadings are imposed mainly for murder or drug offences, but cases of apostasy (renunciation of one's faith), sorcery and witchcraft can also end up in Chop Chop square. Journalist . On death row in Saudi Arabia: forgotten Pakistani prisoners Ali al-Khawahir allegedly paralysed one of his friends from the waist down when he was aged 14. Answer (1 of 6): I was consulting at Riyadh municipality. The figure dropped to just eight in 2020 as it hosted the G20 presidency but it has ramped them up in the first half of this year. He is ready to swing but then steps back. The executioner paused only to wipe the bloodstained blade on the shirt of the torso. The shocking documentary shows viewers what locals call Chop Chop Square in the capital of Riyadh where many of the killings take place. By 9:05, the only other person in Chop Chop Square is a janitor, hosing down the granite. The main building in Chop-Chop, officially Safa Square, belongs to the religious police which Prince Mohammed neutered in 2016. Saudi Arabia UNCOVERED: Sick public beheadings - Express.co.uk Most of them were drug smugglers convicted of non-violent crimes. The Slop Bucket. Away to my left, I caught David's eye. A new figure appeared on the plinth. Professional executioners have beheaded as many as 10 people in a single day. Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). This article was published over a year ago. I was the opposite, From Twitter to X and other brand changes that still bother us, What lessons will Hollywood learn from Oppenheimer and Barbie? FRIDAY is the Islamic Holy Day in Saudi Arabia, a rest day for the kwaji expatriate and Moslem populations alike. By 9.05am, the only other person in Chop Chop Square is a janitor hosing down the granite." Most read in World 'Sign of desperation': Putin warned mobilisation move will decimate Russian economy 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. In capitalist, theocratic societies like fascist Saudi Arabia, the consequences of questioning religious authority often leads to capital punishment in public places known commonly as chop-chop square where, among many other cases, a woman loses her head because she's considered a witch for listening to music by the Beatles. Since the penalty is so severe, women are protected from unfounded accusations of sexual misconduct". In June 2011, Ruyati binti Satubi, an Indonesian maid, was beheaded for killing her employer's wife, reportedly after years of abuse. [50], On 2 January 2016, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia carried out a mass execution of 47 imprisoned civilians convicted for terrorism in 12 different provinces. The applause cracked the moment. I always expected a backlash, a senior Western diplomat said of the incident. It cleaves skin, muscle, and bone with a hollow, echoing thud. They had two buildings that I worked in. David Simpson. [77][78][79] Sheikh Nimr al Nimr, an independent sheikh critical of the Saudi government and popular among youth and Ali al Nimr's uncle, was also arrested in 2012 and sentenced to death by the Specialized Criminal Court in 2014 for his role in encouraging political protests. I finally caught sight of David up on the lawn, but his eventual acknowledgment of me was suddenly cut short. [84][85], On 15 June 2021, the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia announced that it executed Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish (26), who was allegedly charged for forming a terror cell and trying to carry out an armed revolt at the age of 17. Read more on our About Us page. Every story is meticulously researched, written, and edited, before undergoing a rigorous fact-checking process.