Saudi Arabia and Yemen: Commute death sentences this Ramadan

Index Number: MDE 02/031/2006
Date Published: 5 October 2006
Categories: Saudi Arabia, Yemen

The exact number of people under sentence of death and awaiting execution in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen is believed to amount to several hundred. Such prisoners are exposed daily to severe mental stress due to the constant threat of execution and other factors. In previous years, heads of state in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen have marked the Islamic holy month of Ramadan by extending clemency to prisoners under sentence of death by granting pardons or commuting their sentences. Amnesty International is hopeful that these rulers may again mark Ramadan in this way.