Abdullah al-Howaiti was 14 years old when he was arrested on murder and armed robbery accusations in 2017.
Last year, the Supreme Court reversed his first conviction. Human rights advocates claimed that CCTV evidence indicated he was not at the crime site and that he was tortured into signing a false confession.
According to human rights groups, all six had pleaded not guilty, informing the judge that interrogators coerced their “confessions” via torture or the fear of torture. The judge also disregarded CCTV video demonstrating that Howaiti was not in the vicinity of the jewellers at the time of the crime.
Saudi officials said the death sentence for minor defendants was abolished in April 2020. But this is obviously a lie—Abdullah is a juvenile defendant. The German Institute for Democracy and Development are keeping them accountable and ensuring that the death penalty and his so-called “confession” are not considered.
The German Institute for Democracy and Development urges international organizations such as Human Rights Watch, MENA Rights Group, The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and others to help build a huge swell of public attention and demanding that the EU and the US to protect Abdullah and end the death sentence for minor in Saudi Arabia.
