June 20, 2019

Saudi Arabia spares 18-year-old Murtaja Qureiris from execution

topic:	Humans
located:	Saudi Arabia, Austria
editor:	Yair Oded

Due to growing international pressure, Saudi Arabia announced it will not execute 18-year-old Murtaja Qureiris for protests he took part in as a kid, including when he was 10 years old. The Saudi authorities declared Qureiris will instead serve a 12-year prison term, which includes the five years he had already spent in jail.

Qureiris was arrested in 2014, at the age of 13, as he and his family were attempting to cross the border from Saudi Arabia into Bahrain. Qureiris’ arrest, according to the authorities, was justified due to his participation in numerous ‘anti-government’ protests and his aiding of terrorists. What transpired in reality, however, is that at the age of 10 Qureiris had led a group of roughly 30 children on bicycles who had protested government brutality during the Arab Spring in 2011. In a video obtained by CNN, Qureiris is seen leading the huddle of kids, chanting “The people demand human rights!”

The Saudi authorities also accused Qureiris of accompanying his older brother, Ali Qureiris, as the brother allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at a police facility. Qureiris’ charges also include attending his brother’s funeral, which ultimately evolved into a protest.

During his years in prison, a great portion of which he spent in solitary confinement, Qureiris was subject to repeated torture and forced to render his confessions under duress.

Qureiris’ case came to the world’s attention following a report published by CNN about his arrest. In the report, CNN stated that the Saudi authorities were seeking to “impose the harshest form of the death penalty, which may include crucifixion or dismemberment after execution.”

The news then sparked international outrage. In Austria, for instance, the parliament decided to shut down a Saudi-sponsored centre for interfaith dialogue in protest against Qureiris’ imprisonment. Finally, the Saudi’s caved to the intensifying pressure and announced Qureiris will be spared the death penalty and that he will be released from jail by 2022.

Saudi Arabia’s decision not to execute Qureiris is certainly a step in a positive direction, and serves as an important reminder of the power of the international community and the media. That said, it is far from being enough.

Though Qureiris may not be facing the death penalty, he is still being imprisoned for doing nothing other than raising his voice against state-sponsored oppression. This is unacceptable. It is also inconceivable that he should be incarcerated for actions he took while he was merely ten years old. And let us not forget that Qureiris is far from being the only victim of the crown prince’s totalitarian regime – as countless other Saudis (both minors and adults) are currently being jailed, tortured, and executed for engaging in various levels of activism or showing any sign of objection to or dissatisfaction with the authorities.

Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on dissent among its citizens both at home and abroad is murderous and expansive. It is vital for the international community to look past oil and financial interests, and apply whatever pressure possible on the kingdom until it reverses its bloody campaign of oppression.

Image: change.org