A Saudi woman was executed on Monday for “witchcraft and sorcery", according to the Saudi Interior Minister. The woman, Amina bint Abduhalim Nassar, was decapitated in the province of al-Jawl on Monday.
When the police searched Amina bint Abduhalim Nassar’s home in northern Saudi, they found several witchcraft items among her belongings: a witchcraft book, 35 veils and numerous glass bottles filled fin an unidentified liquid that she reportedly used for sorcery. The police say Nassar was known as a healer and asked people for 400 dollars for a veil and three bottles of potion, which they could use for a healing ritual.
Nassar isn’t the first person executed for witchcraft this year. In September a man from Sudan was beheaded in public, in the city of Medina, as a sentence for sorcery charges.
The interim of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa program, Philip Luther, is shocked to have heard such news. Witchcraft and sorcery charges are not seen as crimes in Saudi Arabia, and therefore they cannot be punished. “To use them to subject someone to the cruel and extreme penalty of execution is truly appalling”, he said.
However, Luther explained that the government often uses the sorcery charges on people who exercise their freedom of speech just a little bit too much. So far, in Saudi Arabia, 79 people have been decapitated for witchcraft allegations in 2011.
O femeie din Arabia Saudita a fost executata pentru vrajitorie
Luni, 12 decembrie, o femeie din provincia al-Jawl din nordul Arabiei Saudite a fost decapitata in urma acuzatiilor de vrajitorie, conform ABC News.
Cand politia a cercetat casa femeii, a gasit o serie de obiecte care erau destinate ritualurilor magice: o carte de magie neagra, 35 de valuri si numeroase sticle care contineau un lichid necunoscut. Surse ale politiei religioase au sustinut ca aceste obiecte erau folosite de Amina bint Abduhalim Nassar in profesia ei de “vindecator”. Nassar vindea un val si trei sticle cu licoarea miraculoasa pentru suma de 400 de dolari.
Philip Luther, Directorul Interimar al Amnesty International pe regiunile Orientul Mijociu si Africa de Nord a declarat ca este socat de brutalitatea unei pedepse capitale pentru niste acuzatii care nu tin de latura penala in Arabia Saudita. “Sa folosesti aceste acuzatii pentru a condamna pe cineva la o sentinta atat de cruda si extrema este inspaimantator”, a spus Luther. Insa guvernul Arabiei Saudite foloseste des aceasta acuzatie pentru a ascunde in spatele ei ceea ce il deranjeaza cu adevarat: libertatea de exprimare.
Nassar nu este prima persoana executata pentru vrajitorie in Arabia Saudita. Doar anul acesta, conform ABC News, 79 de oameni au primit pedeapsa capitala pentru aceleasi acuzatii.
· Amnesty International este o miscare la nivel global care militeaza impotriva incalcarii grave a drepturilor omului. In prezent, are 3 milioane de suporteri, membri si activisti in toata lumea.
