Associated Press Assessment of the Consequences of Death Sentences in Saudi Arabia

Violent clashes in the city of Awamiya in eastern Saudi Arabia have increased. Security forces, masked and riding armored vehicles, patrol the city while armed Shiites from the area shoot at them. Following the confirmation of the death sentences for 14 Shiites from Awamiya who participated in anti-government protests, tensions in the city have escalated. Shiites in Awamiya complain of discrimination by the Sunni Saudi government. According to the Associated Press, political activists and human rights groups in Awamiya say these 14 men, most of whom are in their twenties, will be executed as soon as the death sentences are signed by the King of Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch state that the trials of these individuals were unfair, their confessions were obtained under torture and duress, and they had no defense attorney during their court sessions. Three of the defendants were seventeen years old at the time of the alleged crimes. One of these individuals had just been accepted by Western Michigan University before his arrest. This has led many around the world, including 10 Nobel Peace Prize winners and the American Federation of Teachers, to urge King Salman of Saudi Arabia to prevent the execution of these individuals. Shiite activists from Awamiya say the ongoing demolition of homes is aimed at erasing the city's Shiite history and expelling the residents of Awamiya. They claim that the homes being demolished are located within the grounds of an ancient fortress. The people of Awamiya say the Saudi government is collectively punishing them. In response to protests against the issuance of these death sentences, the Saudi Ministry of Justice issued an unprecedented statement explaining the judicial process and the issuance of sentences. The statement claims that all defendants in Saudi Arabia are entitled to a fair trial. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice stated that these 14 individuals were convicted of terrorist crimes, including the killing of civilians and security personnel. The spokesperson added that the death sentences issued by a counter-terrorism court were reviewed by an appellate court and the Supreme Court, both of which confirmed the sentences. He emphasized that in Saudi Arabia, the death penalty is only issued for 'very serious crimes.' The Saudi government considers the armed militants in the Awamiya region as 'terrorists' and states that part of the buildings in the old part of the city are being demolished because armed attackers use them as shelters. The government claims it intends to reconstruct these areas to ensure that the buildings comply with new safety standards. Saudi security forces say that armed militants have attacked police officers with RPGs and have targeted civilian groups responsible for the destruction of buildings with explosives and homemade bombs. The issuance of death sentences and recent violence in Awamiya could exacerbate sectarian violence throughout the region. Nearly two years ago, the execution of Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, a Shiite cleric who led protests in Awamiya, caused severe tensions in Saudi-Iranian relations. The two countries are engaged in a permanent power struggle at the regional level, each supporting rival groups in the wars in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, and in the political arenas of Lebanon and Bahrain.