Posted on 04/25/2020 6:23:35 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia has abolished flogging as a punishment, the supreme court announced, hailing the latest in a series of "human rights advances" made by the king and his powerful son.
Court-ordered floggings in Saudi Arabia -- sometimes extending to hundreds of lashes -- have long drawn condemnation from human rights groups.
But they say the headline legal reforms overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have brought no let-up in the conservative Islamic kingdom's crushing of dissent, including through the use of the death penalty.
The Saudi supreme court said the latest reform was intended to "bring the kingdom into line with international human rights norms against corporal punishment".
Previously the courts could order the flogging of convicts found guilty of offences ranging from extramarital sex and breach of the peace to murder.
In future, judges will have to choose between fines and/or jail sentences, or non-custodial alternatives like community service, the court said in a statement seen by AFP on Saturday.
The most high-profile instance of flogging in recent years was the case of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi who was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes in 2014 for "insulting" Islam.
He was awarded the European parliament's Sakharov human rights prize the following year.
(Excerpt) Read more at france24.com ...
Mighty big of them.
I feel good about this. At least my favorites from the rags such as hanging, decapitation, sawing off hands are still on the board ..
They are gonna quit flogging people before they behead them. It was barbaric.
Key question. What did they replace it with? Those people don’t suddenly go human.
I think the new Crown Prince is an improvement. But unless you want to go full revolution or Civil War (which could go either direction), incremental changes are the best way to go.
>>...incremental changes are the best way to go.<<
Yes, in a couple of millennia, the Saudis will be squarely in the 15th Century.
Too bad it’s not available here in the states..... got quite a list of flogees going.
Obliterating the Ka’aba with a cruise missile hit would be a good jolt from the future.
Stoning still a go??
He’s on very shaky ground having begun the oil war with Russia and the resulting falling Saudi revenues, heading the kingdom in the direction of insolvency and revolt.
still a Huge thing in San Fransicko
We will find
sooner or later
if Achmed'll pray
to a glowing crater
Well, it is progress, they are now entering the 17th century........
“She said activists will also push the UN to adopt a resolution on stoning similar to the one passed last year on eradicating female genital mutilation – another form of violence against women often justified on religious and cultural grounds.”
The UN is a joke.
Abolish state controlled religion - Islam!
Then how will morale ever improve? /s
What?? No flogging?? I was going to suggest an increase!! (my tag line shows my dark-heart)
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