Saudi Arabia is about to behead a 21-year-old man and then crucify him to display his body in public. This same country was just chosen to head a U.N. Human Rights Council panel. If it weren’t so serious this would be funny!
Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested when he was 17 for participating in demonstrations against the government, then he was convicted under torture. But his case is not an exception in the kingdom -- Saudi Arabia has executed more than 100 people this year, that’s a rate of one every 2 days!
France has already requested that Saudis stop this execution, but the US, Germany, and the UK also have very cosy relationships with the regime. The best way to get urgent action is to channel our outrage to these leaders who can persuade their Saudi allies. Sign up now to save Ali, and then stop this human rights farce, his execution could happen any time:
secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_saudi_beheadings_loc/?bkHcnjb&v=65557
Saudi is now Chair of the UN committee that oversees nominations to key special rapporteurs and experts. Ali’s whole atrocious case shows how absurd that is! Human rights experts say this is an ‘arbitrary execution’ prohibited under the international Convention on the Rights of the Child, as Ali would be executed for crimes committed when he was a minor. Ali is the nephew of a prominent Shia cleric, who has also been sentenced to death.
But they will go ahead unless there is a massive cost on the international stage.
The above governments have an ugly, but tight trade relationship with Saudi -- they either sell the Kingdom weapons or buy oil, or both! We know their voices count. When we campaigned earlier this year for the German Vice Chancellor to tell Saudi officials to stop the flogging and possible execution of the blogger Raif Badawi, Sigmar Gabriel spoke out. Badawi hasn’t been flogged in months and he’s still alive, even though he is still rotting in prison.
Let’s urgently get these powerful leaders to tell Saudis that they must stop this execution and then demand they weigh in at the UN Human Rights Council to ensure this new role is challenged. Sign now - let’s help save this young man’s life:
secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_saudi_beheadings_loc/?bkHcnjb&v=65557
When regimes worldwide violate basic human rights, our community has spoken out and helped stop atrocities. Let’s now raise our voices for Ali.
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