Saudiarabien är väl inte en Diktatur?

Försvarsminister Karin Enströms (M) och Reinfeldts moraliska kompass...

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- Saudiarabien är väl inte en...

...Diktatur??

Sverige 2012-08-13
Försvarsminister Karin Enström (M) backar till slut motvilligt från sitt tidigare uttalade om att Saudiarabien inte är en diktatur. ”

Om det nu endast är möjligt att beskriva Saudiarabien som antingen en demokrati eller diktatur så bör Saudiarabien beskrivas som en diktatur”, skriver hon i ett pressmeddelande.

I en tidigare intervju i Ekot ville försvarsministern inte kalla Saudiarabien för en diktatur.

- Vi gör inte listor på länder, men man kan väl helt klart säga att det inte är en demokrati, sade hon då.

- Saudiarabien är en av de värsta diktaturerna, och det borde regeringen kunna säga.

I valrörelsen 2006, sade de borgerliga att de skulle införa en moralisk kompass i utrikespolitiken...

http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/enstrom-backar-om-saudiuttalande_7418110.svd

--JUSTICE IN SAUDI ARABIA--

Human Rights Concerns
 
International organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have investigated claims about the harsh justice system in Saudi Arabia. They've interviewed scores of detainees, both nationals and foreign workers.

There are many serious concerns and activists have written reports such as Saudi Arabia: End Secrecy, End Suffering to shed light on this highly secretive justice system.

The Shariah

Criminal cases in Saudi Arabia are heard by the General Sharia (or Islamic court). The last stage of judical review is by the Supreme Judical Council. This 11-member body reviews judgements handed down in major cases.

In cases of captial punishment the sentence needs to be approved by the Royal court. These courts interpret the Shariah or Islamic law. The Shariah is known as 'the word of God' and is based upon the Koran.

Many of the laws are vaguely worded which means individuals can be arrested and imprisoned on religious or political grounds.

Once arrested detainees are held incommunicado and are denied any contact with family members or lawyers.

Reports of Frequent Torture 

Prisoners have stated that they were forced to sign false confessions.

Methods of getting prisoners to sign include electric shock, cigarette burns, nail-pulling, beatings and threats to family members.

There are reports that some prisoners have died as a result.

Secret Court Hearings

The prisoners frequently know nothing about their cases, do not attend their trials and often aren't even informed when they have been convicted. This adds to unnecessary suffering because many have no idea why or how long they will be in jail or whether they face execution.

Court hearings are held in secret which means that the families of the defendants as well as the general public are denied the right to be present. The hearings last between five minutes and two hours - even for the most serious cases.


No guaranteed legal defense

Defendants have no right to a lawyer and have little opportunity to mount a defense. Many are denied the right to call witnesses and evidence that may have been gathered during the investigation is hidden from the defendant. The judge acts as the defendant's lawyer and questions the prosecution.

Acccording to Amnesty International while some laws in Saudi Arabia refer to detainees having lawyers, it is rare.

Defendants can be convicted solely on the basis of confessions which may have been extracted by torture.

Many people are suffering in Saudi prisons because they were forced to sign these 'false' confessions.

Corporal Punishment

Flogging and amputation of limbs are used extensively as judicial punishments. They can be applied to many offences ranging from alcohol and sexual offenses to theft. Men, women and children are flogged in prisons and in public squares around the country. There is no upper limit on the number of lashes judges can order.

The most lashes ever recorded was 4,000 given to an Egyptian national who was convicted of robbery.

Death by Beheading 

Saudi Arabia also has one of the highest rates of executions in the world.

This sentence can be applied to a wide range of offenses including 'witchcraft' and 'sexual crimes' both considered 'corruption on earth'.

The death sentence - by beheading - is often carried out in public in what's know to locals as 'Chop-Chop' Square in Riyadh.

Saudi ambassador designate to Britain claims that "We do not consider the punishment of beheading as either abhorrent or against human rights." The punishment for death is beheading under the law of the Shariah.

Prisoners often receive no warning that they are about to be executed. They are taken to a public square, blindfolded and forced to kneel and are beheaded.

Most prisoners are not allowed to visit with family before they are executed, in fact, most families are notified only after the prisoner is dead.

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/saudi/justice.html

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Saudiarabien är väl inte en Diktatur?

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