Execution of Saudi prisoners widens gap between Baghdad, Riyadh
Iraq has executed three Saudi prisoners and nine others are on death row, raising the objections of Saudi Arabia that wants Baghdad to transfer the prisoners to the kingdom.
BAGHDAD — On Oct. 7, Iraqi authorities executed Saudi prisoner Badr Ofan al-Shamri, making him the third Saudi prisoner to be executed during 2016 in Iraq, following Abdullah al-Shanqeeti and Abdullah Azzam.
Nine other Saudis on death row are scheduled to be executed in November. They are Fahad al-Anzi, Mohammed al-Obeid, Majid al-Buqami, Faisal al-Faraj, Battal al-Harbi, Ali al-Shahri, Ali al-Qahtani, Hamad Yahya and Abdulrahman al-Qahtani, all in al-Hoot prison in Nasiriyah.
Saudi media outlets reported anonymous sources as saying that Shamri had been extremely tortured during his 13-year detention, perhaps so much so that one of his legs had to be amputated.
Shamri’s family has accused the Iraqi authorities of torturing their son and vowed to sue the Iraqi government. In this context, Shamri’s brother Salman said Oct. 11, "The signs of torture were visible on my brother’s body and the Iraqi government will be sued for this.”
