Saudi teen to be beheaded for teaching first aid to demonstrators in times of protests

Sentence sparks international outcry

A second teenager will be beheaded in Saudi Arabia for participating in protests. The teen's sentence was reported only a few days following teenager's conviction sparked international outcry. 

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Dawoud al-Marhoon was only 17-years-old when he was arrested in May 2012 by Saudi security forces at the height of protests in the country's Eastern Province. Reports claim he was tortured and made to sign a confession that was later used to convict him.
Human rights campaigners Reprieve reported that since his conviction, al-Marhoon has been in solitary confinement and is not allowed to speak to his lawyer.

Last week, al-Marhoon was sentenced to death by beheading after the Specialised Criminal Court upheld his conviction. 
Al-Marhoon is the second case of teenage convictions, the first being Ali al-Nimr, who currently faces a sentence of crucifixion that involves his beheading and a public display of his body. 
Al-Nimr's sentence is in response to his participation in =protests in 2012 when he was only 17-years-old. He was charged with attending a protest, teaching demonstrators first aid and using his phone to invite people to join the protest.
The teen's sentence sparked worldwide criticism, with a group of UN experts and the French government joining in the cry to halt the executions. 
Unfortunately for al-Nimr and al-Marhoon, they can be executed at any time with no notifications to their families beforehand. 
According to Reprieve, the executions are expected to push through despite concerns for the fairness of each trial. 
British Prime Minister David Cameron said his message to the Saudi government read "Don't do it," adding "we never stint in telling them that we don't agree with them on these human rights issues."
Reprieve's death penalty director, Maya Foa, said "Ali al-Nimr's case has rightly prompted revulsion among the international community. It is therefore horrifying that the Saudi government is pushing ahead with plans to exact a similarly brutal sentence on another juvenile, Dawoud al-Marhoon.
"It's also deeply disappointing to see the U.S. and the UK - who are among the Saudis' closest allies - failing to intervene strongly to stop these executions from going ahead. It is grossly hypocritical for David Cameron to say he opposes these sentences, while his government is bidding to support the very prisons service who will be responsible for carrying them out. 
"The British government must urgently change its priorities - ministers must cancel the bid and call unequivocally on Saudi Arabia to halt the executions."
It was reported Tuesday that Saudi Arabia threatened to execute anyone who "spread rumors" about the government on social media. 
Reprieve reported it is the first time Saudi Arabia established a rule to punish law-abiding citizens for what they say on social media platforms. 
The country already has departments and laws to censor mass media to prevent dissidence and utilizes capital punishment. 
According to a Ministry of Justice source, only the worst of the "rumor-mongers" will be executed while other can be punished with lashes, imprisonment, travel bans, house arrest and social media bans. 

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