Guest guest Report post Posted December 9, 2003 Killer Saved from Sword by Victim's Family RIYADH (Reuters) - A convicted Saudi Arabian murderer was spared execution after tribal sheikhs persuaded his victim's father to accept five million riyals ($1.33 million) in return for his life, Saudi newspapers reported on Friday. Al-Watan newspaper said 22-year-old Saeed bin Manea al-Harith killed Abdallah bin Jakhdab al-Kawal after an argument at work last year. Thousands of men from the convicted murderer's tribe besieged the Kawal family house in South Dhahran in southern Saudi Arabia at dawn on Thursday to try to save him from his punishment. After several hours of talks Kawal's father, overruling the wishes of his wife, agreed to spare the killer. He originally demanded 10 million riyals compensation, along with 10 cars and 10 daggers, the paper said. Under Islamic laws, relatives of a murder victim can accept "blood money" instead of the execution of the offender. Saudi Arabia, which implements strict Islamic sharia law, executes convicted murderers, rapists and drug traffickers -- usually in a public beheading by sword. ancient paztriot Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gHari 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2003 you must acquit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gauracandra 1 Report post Posted December 11, 2003 I can definitely see it as a system of justice. From Western culture it seems very primitive. The wealthy will get away because they can pay it off. But the wealthy already get away (note Ghari's OJ Simpson comment, that man was guilty). So this way there is some compensation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
