Saudi Arabia chosen to lead UN Human Rights Council panel

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A 17-year-old boy charged with anti-government protests and carrying firearms is set to face death by crucifixion and beheading in Saudi Arabia, according to international media.

International Business Times reports that the Saudi teenager named Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in Qatif province on February 14, 2012 during some anti-government protests. He was held in prison without evidence and not allowed to speak to a lawyer, say human rights activists.

Furthermore, he was tortured to extract a confession and was not invited to or informed about an 'appeal' against his death sentence.

"No one should have to go through the ordeal Ali has suffered — torture, forced 'confession' and an unfair, secret trial process, resulting in a sentence of death by 'crucifixion,'" Maya Foa, director of human rights group Reprieve, said in a statement to mic.com. Al-Nimr was allegedly targeted because his uncle, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, is a noted critic of the kingdom, and is scheduled to be executed on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia imposes an extremely harsh form of Sharia which sanctions medieval punishments such as lashes, stoning, beheading and crucifixion. Its legal system has come under repeated fire from human rights activists and western countries for being arbitrary, unjust and uncompromising to minors. The Saudi monarchy under King Salman has stepped up executions, with 79 reported this year as of May 6.

"Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that executes the most people in the world, often after people have been tortured into confessions or had unfair trials," Reprieve press officer Alice Gillham told Mic.com. "It's pretty shocking that this person was convicted as a juvenile and is now set to be executed."

In 2014, blogger Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in jail for 'insulting Islam' through electronic media. Only 50 of the lashes have been carried out yet, as Badawi continues to suffer from poor health.

On Twitter, #FreeNimr is being used to protest against the planned crucifixion and beheading of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr.

Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has upheld the sentence of 1,000 lashes and 10 years of imprisonment on blogger Raif Badawi, despite a foreign outcry.
Speaking from Canada, his wife Ensaf Haidar told the BBC she feared his punishment would start again on Friday.
Badawi was arrested in 2012 for "insulting Islam through electronic channels".
Saudi authorities sent his case for review amidst global protests, after the first round of lashes in January.
For four years Badawi ran the Liberal Saudi Network, which encouraged online debate on religious and political issues.
Ms Haidar said she had held high hopes that her husband was about to be released, but he remained less optimistic.
When they last spoke three days ago he told her not to expect him home in the near future.
She called on the countries and rights groups that had campaigned for her husband's release to mobilise once more.

Badawi received his first 50 lashes in January, but subsequent floggings have been postponed.
A shaky video taken on a mobile phone showed Badawi being lashed by a member of the security forces.
The footage prompted international protests which were repeated every Friday, the scheduled day for the beatings.
In March, the kingdom expressed "surprise and dismay" at international criticism over the punishment.
At the time, the foreign ministry issued a statement saying it rejected interference in its internal affairs.
It is not clear why Badawi has not yet endured a second round though a medical report found he was not fit for the punishment.
Saudi Arabia enforces a strict version of Islamic law and does not tolerate political dissent. It has some of the highest social media usage rates in the region, and has cracked down on domestic online criticism.

The Saudis are the real enemies, not the Iranians

The UN is useless and the US should withdraw and tell them to get out of New York.

The Saudis are the real enemies, not the Iranians

The UN is useless and the US should withdraw and tell them to get out of New York.