Ibrahim Alawi
JEDDAH — The Saudi Embassy in Baghdad is closely following the conditions of about 75 Saudis, including seven on death row, incarcerated in various prisons in Iraq, according to diplomats.
Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Saudi Ambassador to Iraq Thamir Al-Sabhan said a number of Saudi prisoners have completed their jail terms and were to be handed over to the embassy to send them home but the Iraqi authorities backed down in the last moment obviously for political reasons.
"We do not doubt the integrity of the Iraqi justice. We do not say the trials were unfair and biased. We condemn terrorism, which has no home or religion, and call for harshest punishments for the terrorists" he said. The ambassador, however, said many of the Saudi prisoners who are in jail were not detained on terrorism charges.
Sabhan said he only asked the Iraqi authorities to enable the embassy to inspect the conditions of the Saudi prisoners who should be humanely treated according to the international law.
He asked the Iraqi authorities to hand over to the embassy the Saudi prisoners who have completed their prison terms and said these prisoners will again be questioned by Saudi authorities when they reach home.
The ambassador said he had formally protested to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry against the execution of Saudi prisoner Abdullah Azzam Al-Qahtani without informing the embassy according to the diplomatic norms.
He said the embassy was making efforts to commute the death sentences on the seven Saudis.
Meanwhile, the body of Al-Qahtani was flown to Madinah early Tuesday for burial according to his wish.
