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http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/02/14/saudia18051.htmSaudi Arabia: Halt Woman’s Execution for ‘Witchcraft’
Fawza Falih’s Case Reveals Deep Flaws in Saudi Justice System
(New York, February 14, 2008) – King Abdullah should halt the execution of Fawza Falih and void her conviction for “witchcraft,” Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the Saudi king.
The fact that Saudi judges still conduct trials for unprovable crimes like ‘witchcraft’ underscores their inability to carry out objective criminal investigations. Fawza Falih’s case is an example of how the authorities failed to comply even with existing safeguards in the Saudi justice system.
Joe Stork, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch to King Abdullah
Letter, February 13, 2008
Saudi Arabia
The religious police who arrested and interrogated Fawza Falih and the judges who tried her in the northern town of Quraiyat never gave her the opportunity to prove her innocence against absurd charges that have no basis in law.
“The fact that Saudi judges still conduct trials for unprovable crimes like ‘witchcraft’ underscores their inability to carry out objective criminal investigations,” said Joe Stork, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Fawza Falih’s case is an example of how the authorities failed to comply even with existing safeguards in the Saudi justice system.”