Seven Saudis are scheduled to die by crucifixion and firing squad Tuesday for armed robberies they committed while they were teenagers.
Human rights activists are appealing to Saudi authorities stop the executions.
One of the sentenced, Nasser al-Qahtani, 24, told The Associated Press he was part of a 23-member crime ring that didn’t kill anyone, but rather stole form jewelry stores between 2004 and 2005. Most of the members at the time of the thefts were juveniles, he said. They were arrested in 2006, and authorities tortured them into confession their crimes, he said, in the AP report.
“I killed no one. I didn’t have weapons while robbing the store, but the police tortured me, beat me up and threatened to assault my mother to extract confessions that I had a weapon with me while I was only 15,” he said, AP reports. “We don’t deserve death.”
The main defendant, Sarhan al-Mashayeh, is set to be crucified for three days, while the others will face a firing squad, AP reports.
Saudi Arabia is governed by Sharia law, which calls for the execution of those convicted of rape, murder and armed robbery.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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