Saudi royal may face execution for murder

A Saudi prince who murdered a fellow Saudi may be executed, a newspaper reported on Sunday, in a rare example of a member of the kingdom’s ruling family facing the death penalty.

The English-language Arab News did not name the prince or his victim, but said a senior member of the family and government, Crown Prince Salman, had “cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen”.

In a message about the case to Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Prince Salman was quoted as saying: “Sharia shall be applied to all without exception.”

Prince Salman’s message followed a statement from the victim’s father that he was not ready to pardon the killer and he was not happy with the amount offered as blood money.

The families of murder victims are encouraged by Saudi authorities to accept blood money instead of insisting on execution.

The paper quoted Crown Prince Salman’s message as saying: “There is no difference between big and small, rich and poor ... Nobody is allowed to interfere with the judiciary’s decision. This is the tradition of this state. We are committed to following the Sharia.”

An Interior Ministry spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

Reuters