Last-Minute Pardon Saves Teen From Execution

April 4, 2007

Saudi Arabia

Last-Minute Pardon Saves Teen From Execution

Arab News

MAKKAH: An 18-year-old Pakistani student was spared the death sentence
hours before his execution, which had been scheduled to take place
yesterday.

The case was dropped following the intervention of Makkah Gov. Prince Abdul
Majeed, who is also the president of the Reconciliation Committee.

The 18-year-old had been convicted of killing a Burmese friend and was
sentenced to death three years ago. The Reconciliation Committee has since
been trying to convince the victim's family to forego their demands for an
execution and pardon the young man.

The Pakistani youth was led to the execution ground yesterday and was spared
at the last minute when the family of the victim agreed to forgive him on
the condition that the murderer's family build a mosque in Makkah bearing
the victim's name.

The agreement was registered at the Reconciliation Committee's headquarters.
The new mosque will now be built in the Al-Khalediah district of of the holy
city.

Nasir Al-Zahrani, executive president of the Reconciliation Committee, said
everyone offered thanks to Prince Abdul Majeed for personally intervening in
the case. "The committee's efforts were continuing even a few hours before
the sentence was to be carried out. The efforts of all the members are
highly appreciated and important in spreading the spirit of forgiveness
among members of the public," he said.

Last month the Reconciliation Committee, a charity organization established
by Prince Abdul Majeed to save people on death row from execution by
negotiating with the families of victims, secured a pardon for a 28-year-old
university student who was sentenced to death by a Makkah court for killing
a fellow student.

With securing a pardon for the Pakistani youth, the total number of people
the committee has managed to save from execution so far reached 112.

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Source : Arab News

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=32047&n_tit