More good news for death penalty fans

[Carl Remick]

[Just off the wire -- if the executioner's aim was good, I guess this guy's 
head didn't "explode" in a way that would satisfy certain vengeance seekers 
hereabouts, but I assume this event, if conducted in the usual public way, 
presented a spectacle many would find most satisfying.]

Saudis Behead Convicted Killer

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- A Saudi man convicted of murder was beheaded in 
western Saudi Arabia on Friday, the Interior Ministry said.

Sultan bin Salem al-Shihri was beheaded in the western port city of Jiddah, 
according to a ministry statement.

Al-Shihri was convicted of fatally shooting compatriot Abdul Aziz bin Abdul 
Rahman al-Amri following a dispute, the statement said without providing any 
further details.

Al-Shihri's execution brings the total number of people beheaded in Saudi 
Arabia this year to at least 91. Twenty-nine people were executed in all of 
1998.

The kingdom's Islamic courts impose death sentences for murder, rape, drug 
trafficking and armed robbery. Executions are usually carried out with a 
sword in public.

Human rights groups have criticized Saudi executions, claiming the condemned 
people generally do not receive fair trials.

[end]

Carl

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