IMMINENT EXECUTION...

Imminent executionSAUDI ARABIA Sheikh Mastan (alias Mohammed Salim) (m) aged 30, married with one childHamza Abu Bakir, (m) aged 47, married with four childrenThe two men named above, both Indian nationals, are at risk of imminent execution. There has been an upsurge in the number of people executed in Saudi Arabia since January 2008. At least 25 people have been executed since 8 January; eight of them for drug related offences and the rest for murder and armed robbery.Sheikh Mastan and Hamza Abu Bakir are currently detained in al-Dammam Prison in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. They were arrested in January 2004 on charges of drug possession. In June 2006, they were convicted and sentenced to death by a court in al-Dammam. However, they had no legal representation. Very little is known about their trial except that their convictions and sentences are said to have been upheld on appeal, meaning that they could be executed at any time. They are reported to have been visited only once since their arrest and that was by a representative of the Indian Consulate on 29 May 2007. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Saudi Arabia applies the death penalty for a wide range of offences. Court proceedings fall far short of international standards for fair trial. Defendants are rarely allowed formal representation by a lawyer, and in many cases are not informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them. They may be convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under duress or deception.RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Arabic or English or your own language:- urging the King to halt the execution of Sheikh Mastan and Hamza Abu Bakir;- appealing to the King to commute the death sentences of Sheikh Mastan and Hamza Abu Bakir and all those on death row in Saudi Arabia as a matter of urgency, with a view to the abolition of the death penalty;- seeking clarification of the steps being taken to enable Sheikh Mastan, Hamza Abu Bakir and others to exercise effectively the rights to judicial review and to seek a pardon;- expressing concern at the increasing number of executions in Saudi Arabia.APPEALS TO: (Time difference = GMT + 3 hrs / BST + 2 hrs)King Abdullah Bin 'Abdul 'Aziz Al-SaudThe Custodian of the two Holy MosquesOffice of His Majesty The KingRoyal CourtRiyadhKingdom of Saudi ArabiaFax (via Ministry of the Interior): 00 966 1 403 1185 [Salutation: Your Majesty]His Royal Highness Prince Naif bin 'Abdul 'Aziz Al-SaudMinister of the InteriorMinistry of the Interior P.O. Box 2933 Airport RoadRiyadh 11134Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaFax: 00 966 1 403 1185 [Salutation: Your Royal Highness]His Royal Highness Prince Saud al-Faisal bin 'Abdul 'Aziz Al-Saud Minister of Foreign AffairsMinistry of Foreign Affairs Nasseriya Street Riyadh 11124Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Fax: 00 966 1 403 0645[Salutation: Your Royal Highness]PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO: His Excellency HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, 30 Charles Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5DZEmail: ukemb@mofa.gov.saPLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Please do not send appeals after 20 March 2008. ----------------------------------------------------SHOULD YOU MENTION AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL IN YOUR APPEALS? The name of Amnesty International may be used unless otherwise stated in the text above. Letters written in a private or personal capacity may be more effective.FAX NUMBER NOT WORKING? Officials will sometimes switch off their fax machines to stop appeals arriving ? please keep trying. If you can't get through, please put your appeal in the post. If a number is unobtainable please inform the Urgent Action team.EMAIL ADDRESS NOT WORKING? Please send a copy of the delivery error report to ua@amnesty.org.ukRECEIVED A REPLY FROM A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL? Please send it or a copy to the Urgent Action team. If appropriate, thank the official who has replied and ask to be kept informed about the case.Individuals At Risk Team* including Urgent Actionsiar@amnesty.org.uk020 7033 1572Amnesty International UKHuman Rights Action Centre17-25 New Inn YardLondonEC2A 3EA ɠ2003 All Images and Content are the Property of Fasthosts Internet Ltd