Saudi Arabia on Sunday ended the execution for crimes committed by minors after effectively abolishing floggings because the kingdom seeks to blunt criticism over its human rights record.
The reforms underscore a push by de facto ruler crown prince Mohammed bin Salman to modernize the ultra-conservative kingdom long related to a fundamentalist strain of Wahhabi Islam.
The execution has been eliminated for those convicted of crimes committed while they were minors, Human Rights Commission president Awwad Alawwad said during a statement, citing a royal decree.
“Instead, the individual will receive a jail sentence of no longer than 10 years during a juvenile detention facility,” the statement said.
The decree is predicted to spare the lives of a minimum of six men from the minority Shiite community who are on death row.
United Nations human rights experts made an urgent appeal to Saudi Arabia last year to halt plans to execute them.
The kingdom has one among the world’s highest rates of execution, with suspects convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, heist and drug traffic facing the execution .
