The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights spoke about the effects of the death penalty on minors in Saudi Arabia in a 4th Regional Congress on the Death Penalty held by the ECPM Organization.
In a speech delivered by the organization's senior researcher, Duaa Dhainy, on July 12, 2023, she indicated that hours before the session, the organization received news of the Supreme Court's ratification of death sentences against a minor, which makes the threat to his life imminent.
Dhainy noted that everyone facing charges that occurred when they were minors are supposed to be protected from execution under the Juvenile Law. Despite this, they are waiting for years on death row, with every promise the families hope for good, and with every change they hope that their release will be soon, but unfortunately, their sentences are finalized without official notification and they await execution, which may be carried out at any moment in secret by the authorities without even getting a right to farewell.
The speech indicated that during the past seven years, Saudi Arabia executed at least 12 minors. The violations and torture of minors did not end with the execution of the punishment. According to the monitoring of the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, the bodies of the executed minors were not handed over to their families, in a clear practice of psychological torture against them.
Dhainy indicated that the Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates several rights that countries that are still carrying out the death penalty must pay attention to, for the children of the convicts, which are Article 3: the necessity of observing and protecting the best interest of the child, and Article 19 that affirms the right not to be subjected to violence, And Article 20 have the right of the child to obtain special protection and assistance from the state if he is deprived of his family environment.
الكلمة أكدت أن الإعدام لا ينهي حياة المحكوم فقط بل يؤثر على حياة آخرين مرتبطة به، بينهم أيضا قاصرين هم أطفال المحكومين.
Dhainy indicated that the Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates several rights that countries that are still carrying out the death penalty must pay attention to, for the children of the convicts, which are Article 3: the necessity of observing and protecting the best interest of the child, and Article 19 that affirms the right not to be subjected to violence, And Article 20 have the right of the child to obtain special protection and assistance from the state if he is deprived of his family environment.
She pointed out that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed in several researches that the execution of a parent may affect the health of the child in many ways, including exposure to emotional trauma that causes long-term damage to his mental health. She also indicated that children of those sentenced to death may be subject to discrimination, especially if the crime of the father or mother is known to the public for various reasons, such as its appearance in the media. There is also evidence that the poor and certain racial, ethnic and religious minorities are disproportionately affected by the death penalty. Accordingly, the child may feel discriminated against because of his race, religion or economic status, and as a result of the stigmatization, he is exposed to as a result of the death sentence imposed on one of his parents.
The word confirmed that many of the executed death sentences show Saudi Arabia's indifference to children's rights in their implementation, especially in the death sentences against political detainees. In addition, the failure to inform family members of the approaching execution date is inconsistent with Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and constitutes inhuman or cruel treatment, and keeping this data confidential constitutes a violation of the child’s right to obtain information about the sentences issued against him. his family under Article 9, paragraph 4, of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
According to the European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights, Saudi Arabia suddenly implements sentences without giving the detainee or his family the right to a proper farewell, which is a shock to children.
Dhainy indicated that in a report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2013, countries that still apply the death penalty were called upon to ensure the effective protection of the child's right to information and to conduct visits or final contacts, as approved by Human Rights Council Resolution 19/37 related to the rights of the child. Dhini indicated that in a report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2013, countries that still apply the death penalty were called upon to ensure the effective protection of the child's right to information and to conduct visits or final contacts, as approved by Human Rights Council Resolution 19/37 related to the rights of the child. . And called on them either to return the body of the executed person and his personal belongings to his family so that they could bury him, without forcing the family to pay a sum of money for that, or to inform the family of the place of burial of the body and allow it within reasonable limits to reach that place; And call on it to take an urgent end to all forms of secrecy that may surround the application of the death penalty, and to ensure that domestic laws are in line with international standards related to transparency.
According to the follow-up of ESOHR, Saudi Arabia is holding at least 140 bodies. Since 2016, Saudi Arabia has started this policy, depriving families of their right to farewell, burial, and in some cases even funeral ceremonies. All these violations directly affect the children of these families.
She explained that among the violations monitored by the organization are violations against children threatened with execution, including the denial of travel. Among them are the children of Salman al-Awda, who is threatened with execution.
Dhainy indicated that there is anticipation with great fear of the fate of minors threatened with the death penalty, including Abdullah al-Hwaiti, Abdullah al-Derazi, Jalal Labbad, Youssef al-Manasif, Ali al-Mabiyouq, Hassan Zaki al-Faraj, Ali Hassan al-Sbeiti, Jawad Qureiris, and Mahdi al-Mohsen. And she stressed that the injustice suffered by the minors who were executed did not stop with the continued psychological torture of their families with the continued detention of their bodies.
Dhainy concluded that the violations that accompany the families and children of those sentenced to death indicate that Saudi Arabia violates the rights of the child and violates its obligations and international laws on several levels.