Saudi Arabia executes prince for shooting a man dead during brawl

Saudi Arabia has executed a prince who shot and killed a man in a fight. The execution of Prince Turki bin Saud al Kabir is a rare death sentence carried out against a member of the kingdom’s extensive royal family. He had pleaded guilty to killing Adel al Mohaimeed in a brawl three years ago, according to officials. The Saudi interior ministry issued a statement in which it warned “whoever dares to commit such a crime that the Shariah penalty is awaiting”.

Legitimate punishment would be the fate of whoever tries to assault innocent people and shed their blood

Saudi interior ministry

Saudi Arabia regularly carries out the death penalty but executions of royals - estimated to number several thousand - are rare. The last one was in 1975 when Faisal bin Musaid al Saud had his uncle, King Faisal, killed. The latest sentence was carried out in Riyadh after the victim’s family reportedly refused blood money in exchange for the prince’s life. It was not specified how he was killed but condemned people are often beheaded in public using a sword.

The greatest thing is that the citizen sees the law applied to everyone, and that there are not big people and other small people

Abdul-Rahman al-Lahim, a prominent Saudi lawyer

Middle East