VATICAN CITY听–听Families of death row inmates in听叠补丑谤补颈苍听appealed to听笔辞辫别听Francis on Monday to speak out against capital punishment and defend听辫辞濒颈迟颈肠补濒听辫谤颈蝉辞苍别谤蝉听during his trip to the Gulf state this week.
The families made their appeal in an open letter released by the London-based听叠补丑谤补颈苍听Institute for听搁颈驳丑迟蝉听and Democracy (BIRD), which called on the听辫辞辫别听to speak out on what the group says are听丑耻尘补苍听谤颈驳丑迟蝉听abuses, including the imprisonment of pro-democracy dissidents, during his Nov. 3聽迟辞听6 trip.
叠补丑谤补颈苍听has imprisoned thousands of protesters, journalists and activists – some in mass trials – since an anti-government uprising in 2011. It says it prosecutes in accordance with international law those who commit crimes.
“Our family members remain behind bars and at risk of execution despite the clear injustice of their convictions. Many of them were targeted because they took part in pro-democracy protests during the ‘Arab Spring’,” said the letter, written by families of 12 death row inmates.
“During your听惫颈蝉颈迟听to听叠补丑谤补颈苍, we hope you can repeat your call to abolish the death penalty and for the sentences of our family members to be commuted,” it said.
叠补丑谤补颈苍听re-introduced the death penalty in 2017 after a moratorium.
In 2018, the Roman Catholic Church formally changed its teaching to declare the death penalty morally inadmissible and the听辫辞辫别听has made many appeals for it to be banned worldwide.
BIRD, a non-profit group, also released an open letter to the听辫辞辫别听from Ali Al-Hajee, who defined himself as a “prisoner of conscience” and who is close to completing a 10-year sentence which he said was connected to his participation in a pro-democracy demonstration.
“I invite you, in the name of听丑耻尘补苍ity, to urge the King of听叠补丑谤补颈苍听to abide by peace and to release me and all听叠补丑谤补颈苍i听辫辞濒颈迟颈肠补濒听prisoners,” Al-Hajee’s letter said.
叠补丑谤补颈苍听rejects criticism from the United Nations and others over conduct of trials and detention conditions. Authorities say its legal and judicial system continues to be reformed.
A听叠补丑谤补颈苍听government spokesperson, in response to a Reuters request for comment, said in a statement that “no individual in the Kingdom is arrested or in custody because of their beliefs” and that the constitution protects freedom of expression.
“However, in cases where individuals incite, promote, or glorify violence or hatred, there is a duty to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute such individuals,” the spokesperson said, adding the government has “zero-tolerance towards mistreatment of any kind”.
ARAB SPRING
US-allied听叠补丑谤补颈苍听was the only Gulf state 迟辞听别虫辫别谤颈别苍肠别听mass “Arab Spring” upheaval. The Sunni Muslim monarchy used force to suppress protests, led mostly by the Shi’ite Muslim community, and cracked down on sporadic unrest and dissent later.
At a briefing last week, Vatican聽蝉辫辞办别蝉辫别谤蝉辞苍听Matteo Bruni was asked if the听辫辞辫别听would speak about听丑耻尘补苍听谤颈驳丑迟蝉听while in听叠补丑谤补颈苍, given criticism by the opposition and international聽谤颈驳丑迟蝉听groups of the state’s treatment of the Shi’ite majority.
“I won’t anticipate anything on what the听辫辞辫别听will be saying in the next few days. The position of the Holy See and of the聽辫辞辫别听concerning religious freedom and liberty is clear and is known,” he said.
The听叠补丑谤补颈苍听government spokesperson said the state protects freedom of religion and worship, and “does not tolerate discrimination, persecution or the promotion of division based on ethnicity, culture or faith”.
The听辫辞辫别听is听惫颈蝉颈迟ing听叠补丑谤补颈苍听for the closing ceremony of “叠补丑谤补颈苍听Forum for Dialogue: East and West for听贬耻尘补苍听Coexistence” and to meet members of the Catholic community.
He will meet King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and stay in the royal compound because there is no Vatican embassy in听叠补丑谤补颈苍.
In 2019, Francis听惫颈蝉颈迟ed the United Arab Emirates, the first pontiff to听惫颈蝉颈迟听the Arabian peninsula and say a Mass there.
叠补丑谤补颈苍听is about 70% Muslim and, unlike Saudi Arabia, allows the small Christian community – mostly foreign workers – to practice their faith publicly in two churches there. – Reuters
