Saudi Arabia to execute man for being at protests and funerals when he was 15
Rights group says Youssef al-Manasif was tortured and first met his lawyer five years after arrest for non-violent crimes
TL;DR
- Youssef al-Manasif, arrested in 2017 at age 15-17, faces execution in Saudi Arabia.
- Accused of crimes including joining demonstrations and attending funerals deemed protests by authorities.
- Reprieve alleges torture and coerced confession; Manasif met his lawyer five years after arrest.
- His death sentence has reportedly been upheld by the Saudi supreme court.
- Saudi Arabia has seen a significant increase in executions under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
- At least 17 individuals who were children at the time of their offenses have been executed since 2015.
- A 2020 royal decree aimed to abolish the death penalty for minors, but exceptions have been made.
- UN human rights experts have expressed concern and called for a halt to executions of those convicted of offenses committed under 18.