"Special UN rapporteurs have affirmed that the legal and judicial controls and balances, whether in legislation or application, regarding the implementation of the death penalty in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, do not align with the boundaries required by international law.
In a letter sent in July 2023, the rapporteurs expressed their concerns about the lives of minors Abdullah Al-Durazi and Youssef Al-Munassif, who face execution by retribution for charges they received when they were under the age of 18."
The letter was signed by the following Special Rapporteurs: Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions; Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; and Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
The rapporteurs referred to previous letters sent regarding the executions of minors and noted that they received a response from Saudi Arabia in April 2023. They clarified that they do not agree with the government's claims in the response that the information from the source is false, inaccurate, and not based on evidence.
The letter provided details about the two cases received from the source:
A young man from Qatif, he was arrested on August 27, 2014, at the age of 18, while he was on the street. He was arrested without an arrest warrant and was held in solitary confinement for six months during which he was subjected to psychological and physical torture. The torture resulted in dental fractures and a knee injury, and he was hospitalized, remaining in a coma for two weeks. Abdullah Aldurazi was forced to sign confessions, and he faced multiple charges related to protests. His trial began in August 2017 before the Specialized Criminal Court for Terrorism, where he confirmed that he had been subjected to torture in prison, although no investigation was conducted into these claims. Despite facing seven undated charges, the analysis confirms that he was under 17 years old when the charges were filed against him.
He was sentenced to death, and on August 8, 2022, more than two years after the royal decree ending death sentences for minors, the Court of Appeals upheld the sentence against him.
On March 9, 2017, he was arrested at the age of 20. He remained disappeared for a week and was subjected to torture, including kicking, beating, and humiliation.
He was held in solitary confinement for 5 months during which he was prevented from communicating with the outside world. He suffered severe torture and did not receive proper medical treatment despite his critical condition. He was forced to sign confessions.
In 2019, after two years of detention, his trial began before the Specialized Criminal Court. None of the torture allegations were investigated, and his request for a medical report was not fulfilled. The analysis of the charges against him confirms that some of them were filed when he was between 15 and 17 years old. Nevertheless, the sentence against him was upheld.
The special rapporteurs expressed their concern about the possibility of the Supreme Court upholding the sentences without notification, thus putting Al-Darazi and Al-Manasif at risk of imminent execution. They clarified that none of the charges against them included causing death and, therefore, were not of the gravest nature. They also pointed out that the sentences were of a ta'zir nature, meaning they were based on the judge's discretion, and this category is supposed to be exempt from executing minors.
The special rapporteurs affirmed that Saudi Arabia is violating several of its obligations, including:
- Article 4 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights.
- The royal decree in April 2020 that abolishes the death penalty as a ta'zir punishment for minors.
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- The Convention against Torture.
The special rapporteurs concluded that any execution carried out without adhering to international obligations and international law constitutes arbitrary and unlawful execution.
They emphasized that if Saudi Arabia wants to demonstrate its commitment after the execution of death sentences against minors, it must ensure the overturning of the sentences against Adurazi and Al-Manasef.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights emphasizes that the cases of Yousif Al-Manasef and Abdullah Al-Durazi, along with the other seven minors facing the death penalty, highlight the ineffectiveness of official Saudi promises. ESOHR believes that the lack of transparency in the Saudi government's dealings always leads it to respond to UN special rapporteurs and mechanisms by denying sources and providing misleading information.