Saudi Arabia has abolished the whip sentence. This emerges from a document of the Supreme Court of the arch-conservative kingdom, which AFP was able to see in Riyadh today. Previously, the flogging violently denounced by human rights organizations was a punishment for homicides, but also for disrupting “public order” and extramarital relationships. In such cases, the judges will in future impose prison terms or fines or the obligation to do community service.
The move was a measure taken as part of the reforms led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The crown prince, who has been de facto governing the country’s policies since 2017, is striving for Saudi Arabia’s economic and social opening, but according to human rights organizations, this is accompanied by increased repression against critics.
The court decision was released after human rights defender Abdallah al-Hamid died in prison from a stroke. The 69-year-old Hamid was serving an eleven-year sentence, according to Amnesty International, among other things because he had broken “loyalty to the royal family” and disrupted “public order”.
