Saudi Arabia – our 'ally' – is planning to punish a prisoner by paralysing him.

Hat-tip to Louise Mensch for publicising this appalling story from our “ally”, Saudi Arabia, which treats its prisoners with even less respect than the ancient monuments it routinely bulldozes. This report is from the Saudi Gazette:

HOFUF – He was not sentenced to death by execution or firing squad. Another type of punishment awaits Ali Al-Khawahir, who stabbed his best friend 10 years ago, if he does not come up with SR1 million and pays it to the victim.

Ali was sentenced to be fully paralysed as a punishment for causing paralysis to his best friend after stabbing him in the backbone.

The victim requested SR2 million in the beginning to forgive his assailant but later reduced the amount to SR1 million. Some people organised a campaign to raise the money for Ali who could not attend his father’s funeral because he was incarcerated.

Ali’s mother has been suffering tremendously over his incarceration and has begged many people over the past few years to help her son and save him from this eye-for-an-eye punishment.

Ali was jailed when he was 14 years old, the 60-year-old mother told Al-Hayat daily. His friend has been completely paralyzed ever since and has not been able to lead a normal life and has been deprived of being a father, she added.

“Ten years have passed with hundreds of sleepless nights. My hair has become grey at a young age because of my son’s problem. I have been frightened to death whenever I think about my son’s fate and that he will have to be paralysed.”

Ali’s mother feels sorry for the victim too and says he deserves millions in compensation but the problem is that she is poor and does not have the huge amount. She hopes that philanthropists help her son who has spent 10 years of his life in the prison.

I’m totally opposed to the death penalty, but this eye-for-an-eye retribution strikes me as, if anything, even more inhumane. Is this really authentic Islamic justice, or does it just reflect the theology of the frightening Wahhabi sect of Islam? Either way, I hope William Hague will have something to say about this repugnant torture.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damian…um=twitter

Not sure what to think about this one. Opinions anyone?