Being spared from execution once must be a harrowing experience. Being spared from execution twice must be surreal.
This is what happened to Jizan inmate Yahya Al-Mujaribi, who spent 11 years in prison waiting for execution only to be spared by the family of his cousin, the young man he was found guilty of slaying.
The circumstances behind why it took so long to resolve the ongoing capital punishment case is as unclear as the detail behind the killing that took place over a decade ago. But on Tuesday Ali Zaala, chairman of the Prisoner Care Committee in Jizan, announced that right before he was about to be beheaded, the family had spared Al-Mujaribi on the condition he spend the rest of his life in prison. But, there is one problem with this. Under Shariah, when next-of-kin forgive a killer it cannot come with strings attached. The Supreme Judicial Council rejected the demand, which put Al-Mujaribi back where he was. But under pressure from local officials, a second pardon was secured for Al-Mujaribi. The forgiving family did place one condition that is acceptable in Shariah known as "taghreeb," which means roughly "to be exiled."
Pardoned convicted murderers are often asked to leave town, and this was considered a reasonable demand one that probably suited Al-Mujaribi just fine.
Source: Arab News, March 4, 2009
This is what happened to Jizan inmate Yahya Al-Mujaribi, who spent 11 years in prison waiting for execution only to be spared by the family of his cousin, the young man he was found guilty of slaying.
The circumstances behind why it took so long to resolve the ongoing capital punishment case is as unclear as the detail behind the killing that took place over a decade ago. But on Tuesday Ali Zaala, chairman of the Prisoner Care Committee in Jizan, announced that right before he was about to be beheaded, the family had spared Al-Mujaribi on the condition he spend the rest of his life in prison. But, there is one problem with this. Under Shariah, when next-of-kin forgive a killer it cannot come with strings attached. The Supreme Judicial Council rejected the demand, which put Al-Mujaribi back where he was. But under pressure from local officials, a second pardon was secured for Al-Mujaribi. The forgiving family did place one condition that is acceptable in Shariah known as "taghreeb," which means roughly "to be exiled."
Pardoned convicted murderers are often asked to leave town, and this was considered a reasonable demand one that probably suited Al-Mujaribi just fine.
Source: Arab News, March 4, 2009
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