Saudi Arabia executes Jordanian national
SAUDI ARABIA has executed a Jordanian national three months after the Foreign Office scrubbed a claim that he had been tortured from the parliamentary record following a complaint from Riyadh.
Hussein Abo al-kheir, a 57-year-old father of eight, was arrested by Saudi authorities in 2014 for allegedly carrying amphetamine pills across the border from Jordan when he was working in Saudi Arabia as a migrant worker.
Abo al-kheir maintained that he did not smuggle any drugs across the border.
His family said that he was forced to sign a confession, fearing for his life after 12 days of torture.
In November, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Sal man ended an informal moratorium on using the death penalty for non-violent drug offences.
David Davis, Conservative MP, said: “The UK Government knew Hussein Abo alKheir was at imminent risk but the Foreign Secretary failed to publicly call for his execution to be halted.”