It was reported on 20 October that it had been announced by Amnesty International that the Saudi regime had executed Abdullah al-Derazi, who had been a young man, under the age of 18 at the time of his alleged crimes, linked to him attending demonstrations against the regime. Amnesty also noted that they had been warning of his imminent execution for some weeks and had called on King Salman not to ratify his death sentence.

Letter from councillors

As part of the international campaign to try and save the innocent life of Abdullah, a plea for clemency from a number of Newcastle city councillors was sent to the king of Saudi Arabia. In the letter sent to King Salman Ibn Abdulaziz, the councillors expressed their deep concern at the court’s decision to sentence Abdullah al-Derazi to the death penalty for alleged offences during protests in 2011-2012, when he was still a child.

They stated that they were committed to standing up for human rights and that they were writing from Newcastle in the United Kingdom, a city that has many ties with Saudi Arabia.

The councillors went on to state that these links bring a duty to speak clearly when fundamental rights are at stake and that a child is a child, whether in the UK or in Saudi Arabia.

They reminded King Salman that his own Human Rights Commission had committed to ending the death penalty for those who committed crimes as children, and that his Royal Decree to that effect was welcomed internationally.

The councillors said that they were alarmed by reports that Mr. al-Derazi’s trial was grossly unfair, including the conviction relying on a confession which was alleged to have been obtained under torture, that serious procedural defects were present and the fact that his family or lawyers were not properly notified.

The councillors continued by saying that they understand that the decision to grant a pardon is often left to the Interior Ministry but, as the Sovereign King, they beseeched him not to ratify the death sentence of Abdullah al-Derazi.

It was also noted that given the defects in the proceedings, they also respectfully urged King Salman to quash the conviction and to order a fair retrial without recourse to the death penalty.

In conclusion, they pleaded with King Salman to have mercy upon Abdullah al-Derazi who had already spent many years in prison.

The councillors included Nick Hartley, Sarah  Peters, and Khaled Musharraf from the Green Party, independent councillor Jane Byrne, Greg Stone and Philip Browne from the Lib Dems, independent Nick Kemp. It was also supported by the Newcastle Independents, led by Tracey Mitchell.

Doing the right thing

It is so good and so important to see elected representatives doing the right thing regarding basic human decency and human rights and upholding the good name of Newcastle.

In this way we can truly have pride in our city with its precious heritage of human decency and pride in ourselves.  

The councillors involved have shown exactly the integrity and moral leadership which is needed.