Further information on UA: 164/09 Index: MDE 23/035/2009 Issue Date: 07 December 2009

A 22-year-old man, Muhammad Basheer bin Sa'oud al-Ramaly al-Shammari, was beheaded in the Saudi Arabian city of Hail on 7 December. His body was later crucified.

Crucifixions in Saudi Arabia take place after the beheading; the body along with the separated head are placed on a pole in a public square to act as a deterrent.

Muhammad Basheer bin Sa'oud al-Ramaly al-Shammari was convicted by the General Court in Hail of the kidnapping and rape of four people, which took place in February 2009. An appeal court upheld the sentence of death and crucifixion of the body in November as did the Supreme Court subsequently.

Very little is known about Muhammad al-Shammari’s trial, but death sentences in Saudi Arabia are invariably imposed and carried out after unfair trials carried out in secret. He did not have access to a lawyer during his trial, and there were reports that he may have suffered from a psychological disorder. If this was the case, his execution would have violated Resolution 2004/67 of the UN Commission on Human Rights, which urges states still using the death penalty “not to impose the death penalty on a person suffering from any form of mental disorder or to execute any such person”.

No further action is required from the UA network. Many thanks to all who sent appeals.

This is the second update of UA: 164/09 (MDE 23/020/2009). Further information: www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE23/020/2009/en and www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE23/031/2009/en

Further information on UA: 164/09 Index: MDE 23/035/2009 Issue Date: 07 December 2009