Saudis Ponder Paralyzing Prisoner
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - A court in Saudi Arabia is considering deliberately paralyzing a man as punishment after he was convicted of severing the spinal cord of another person with a cleaver during a fight, Amnesty International said on Sunday.
Amnesty said a court in the northwest province of Tabuk had approached a number of hospitals about the possibility of cutting the man’s spinal cord in a medical setting, after the victim requested such a punishment.
“It is reported that one hospital said that it could be done by a special medical center. As Amnesty International we have appealed to the Ministry of Justice,” Amnesty spokesman Lamri Chirous told Reuters by telephone from London.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson could not be immediately reached to comment on the Amnesty report.
Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally, follows an austere version of Sunni Islam that includes floggings for some offences, amputations for thieves, and public beheadings for crimes including murder, rape and drug smuggling.