The Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court had announced on April 25, 2020, that it has put an end to flogging as a form of punishment.
However, the Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court stated that the recent development is meant to “bring the kingdom into line with international human rights norms against corporal punishment”, it also disclosed that it is part of the reforms pushed by King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz and his son, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
Thus, the Judges in the country will now have to choose between, fines, non-custodial or jail sentences alternatives like community service.
Meanwhile, AFP reported that getting rid of the corporal punishment in Saudi Arabia come days after the kingdom’s human rights record was again in the spotlight, following news of the death from a stroke in custody of leading activist Abullah al-Hamid, 69.
Furthermore, the most high-profile case of flogging in recent years was the case of Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger who was apprehended in 2012 and sentenced to 7 years in prison and 600 lashes and then resentenced to 10 years and 1,000 lashes in 2014 for blogging about “insulting Islam” and free speech.
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