Protest in Amman against death penalty in Saudi

A number of drivers’ families, gathered in a demonstration in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Abdoun, Amman, to protest against death penalty with sword in Saudi Arabia. The protest was organized by the Jordanian alliance to end death penalty, Arab coalition to end death penalty institutions, and the national committee for the defense of Jordanians detained abroad. The head of the National Committee for the Defense of Jordanians detained abroad, Abdul Karim Shraideh, said that this protest was organised to express their rejection of the death penalty with sword in Saudi Arabia. He pointed out that 29 Jordanians were sentenced to death by the sword in Saudi Arabia and called for an end to such sentences. He said that the majority of people who are being given sentence to death with sword are truck drivers, pointing out that they get arrested in possession of drugs, where they get sentenced to death without checking if these drugs belong to them or were just put in their trucks. Execution with sword was carried out recently against a Jordanian prisoner who was sentenced for 11 years, and was executed with sword, although he memorized the holy book (Quran) in order to ease his sentence.