PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 23/015/2008

27 March 2008

Further Information on UA 168/07 (MDE 23/025/2007, 28 June 2007) Death Penalty

SAUDI ARABIA Faisal Fouzan al-Otaibi (m)

According to press reports, on 23 March 2008the appeal court quashed the death sentence against Faisal Fouzan al-Otaibi and upheld a sentence against him for the payment of blood money.

Faisal Fouzan al-Otaibi was sentenced to death for causing the deaths of three men, and injuring two others, in a car crash apparently caused when he performed a high-speed stunt in his car in 2005. His case was referred to the appeal court in June 2007.

The family of the victims had previously refused to accept blood money and called for the death sentence against Faisal Fouzan al-Otaibi. Due to the unusual nature of the case, the verdict of the appeal court could be subject to further referrals to the judiciary. If the death sentence is reinstated, Amnesty International will continue to appeal on behalf of Faisal Fouzan al-Otaibi.

No further action required at present, many thanks to all those who campaigned on his behalf