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- Mar 31, 2009
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A Saudi judge has asked several hospitals if they are willing to damage a man's spinal cord as punishment for a cleaver attack that left a 22-year-old paralysed.
The victim, Abdul-Aziz al Mutairi, became paralysed and subsequently lost a foot after a fight more than two years ago.
An unnamed man was sentenced to 14 months in prison for the assault, but released after serving only half that time.
The shortened jail time has reportedly enraged Mr Mutairi's family.
His 27-year-old brother Khaled said they want an equivalent punishment for the attacker and have appealed to a judge in northwestern Tabuk province.
"We are asking for our legal right under Islamic law," the brother said.
"There is no better word than God's word - an eye for an eye."
The judge has since asked several hospitals if medical paralysis was possible and would they perform the operation.
Local newspapers reported a facility in the capital Riyadh had declined, saying it could not inflict such harm.
Saudi Arabia enforces strict Islamic law and occasionally hands out punishments based on the ancient legal code.
Amnesty International has expressed concerns over the reports and said it was contacting Saudi authorities for details.
"We are very concerned and we will appeal to the authorities not to carry out such a punishment," said Lamri Chirouf, the group's researcher on Saudi Arabia.
He added this was the first time Amnesty had heard of a punishment involving the damaging of a spinal cord.
"It's hard to follow details of the Saudi justice system. People are sentenced in closed trials with no access to the public and no lawyers."
(c) Sky News 2010
The victim, Abdul-Aziz al Mutairi, became paralysed and subsequently lost a foot after a fight more than two years ago.
An unnamed man was sentenced to 14 months in prison for the assault, but released after serving only half that time.
The shortened jail time has reportedly enraged Mr Mutairi's family.
His 27-year-old brother Khaled said they want an equivalent punishment for the attacker and have appealed to a judge in northwestern Tabuk province.
"We are asking for our legal right under Islamic law," the brother said.
"There is no better word than God's word - an eye for an eye."
The judge has since asked several hospitals if medical paralysis was possible and would they perform the operation.
Local newspapers reported a facility in the capital Riyadh had declined, saying it could not inflict such harm.
Saudi Arabia enforces strict Islamic law and occasionally hands out punishments based on the ancient legal code.
Amnesty International has expressed concerns over the reports and said it was contacting Saudi authorities for details.
"We are very concerned and we will appeal to the authorities not to carry out such a punishment," said Lamri Chirouf, the group's researcher on Saudi Arabia.
He added this was the first time Amnesty had heard of a punishment involving the damaging of a spinal cord.
"It's hard to follow details of the Saudi justice system. People are sentenced in closed trials with no access to the public and no lawyers."
(c) Sky News 2010
