[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

SAUDI ARABIA:

POET FACES DEATH FOR APOSTASY IN SAUDI ARABIA


Ashraf Fayadh, a Palestinian poet and artist, has been sentenced by a court in 
Saudi Arabia to death
for the “crime” of apostasy. He was denied access to a lawyer throughout his 
detention and trial. He
is a prisoner of conscience.

Click here to view the full Urgent Action in Word or PDF format, including case 
information,
addresses and sample messages.

Ashraf Fayadh, a 35 year-old Palestinian poet and artist born and residing in 
Saudi Arabia, was
sentenced to death on 17 November. The General Court in Abha, southwest Saudi 
Arabia, found him
guilty of apostasy after an appeal court overturned the original sentence of 
four years in prison
and 800 lashes for violating Article 6 of Saudi Arabia’s Anti-Cyber Crime Law.

Ashraf Fayadh was first arrested on 6 August 2013 following a complaint by a 
Saudi Arabian citizen
alleging that the poet was promoting atheism and spreading blasphemous ideas 
among young people. He
was released the next day, but was rearrested on 1 January 2014 and charged 
with apostasy because of
his supposed questioning of religion and spreading atheist thought through his 
poetry. He was also
charged with violating Article 6 of the country’s Anti-Cyber Crime Law by 
taking and storing photos
of women on his phone.

On 30 April 2014, the court sentenced Ashraf Fayadh to four years in prison and 
800 lashes for the
charges relating to images of women on his phone. It found the poet’s 
repentance in relation to the
charge of apostasy to be satisfactory. The court of appeal, however, 
recommended that he should
nevertheless be sentenced for apostasy and sent the case back to the General 
Court, which in turn
sentenced him to death for apostasy.

Ashraf Fayadh was denied access to a lawyer throughout his detention and trial, 
in clear violation
of international and national law.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Saudi Arabia is one of the most prolific executioners in the world, putting 
more than 2,200 people
to death between 1985 and 2015. Between 1 January and 9 November 2015, it 
executed at least 151
people, almost half of them for offences that did not meet the threshold of 
“most serious crimes”
for which the death penalty can be imposed under international law. Saudi 
Arabia also continues to
impose the death penalty on those convicted of “offences” that are not 
recognizably criminal
offences under international human rights law. These include apostasy, 
adultery, witchcraft and
sorcery.

Click here to view the full Urgent Action in Word or PDF format.

Name: Ashraf Fayadh
Gender m/f: m
UA: 265/15 Index: MDE 23/2925/2015 Issue Date: 24 November 2015

Please let us know if you took action so that we can track our impact!

EITHER send a short email to uan at aiusa.org with “UA 265/15” in the subject 
line, and include in the
body of the email the number of letters and/or emails you sent,

OR fill out this short online form to let us know how you took action.

Thank you for taking action! Please check with the AIUSA Urgent Action Office 
if taking action after
the appeals date. If you receive a response from a government official, please 
forward it to us at
uan at aiusa.org or to the Urgent Action Office address below.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Please write immediately in Arabic, English or your own language:
  *  Calling on the authorities to release Ashraf Fayadh immediately and 
unconditionally, as he is a
     prisoner of conscience, held solely for peacefully exercising his right to 
freedom of
     expression;
  *  Urging them to ensure that Ashraf Fayadh’s conviction and sentence are 
quashed;
  *  Urging them to ensure that the death penalty is not used for offences which 
do not meet the
     threshold of “most serious crimes”, including for apostasy which, in 
addition, is not a
     recognisably criminal offence under international law.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 5 JANUARY 2015 TO:

King and Prime Minister
His Majesty Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques
Office of His Majesty the King
Royal Court, Riyadh
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Fax: (via Ministry of the Interior)
+966 11 403 3125 (please keep trying)
Twitter: @KingSalman
Salutation: Your Majesty

Minister of Justice
His Excellency Dr Walid bin Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Samaani Ministry of Justice
University Street, PO Box 7775, Riyadh 11137 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Fax: +966 
11 401 1741 / 402 031
Salutation: Your Excellency



And copies to:
President, Human Rights Commission
Bandar Mohammed ‘Abdullah al-Aiban
Human Rights Commission
PO Box 58889, Riyadh 11515
King Fahd Road
Building No. 3, Riyadh
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Fax: +966 11 418 5101
Email: info at hrc.gov.sa


Also send copies to:
Ambassador Adel A. Al-Jubeir, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
601 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington DC 20037
Fax: 1 202 944 5983  I  Phone: 1 202 342 3800  I  Email: info at saudiembassy.net

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