Saudi Arabia Executes Man Who Committed Offenses as a Minor

Saudi Arabia executed a man for his involvement in activities when he was a minor, despite the fact that the country claims to have eliminated capital punishment for childhood offenses.

Mustafa al-Darwish, 26, was executed on Tuesday in Dammam. He was accused of forming a terror cell and attempting to carry out an armed revolt during so-called riots in 2011-2012. He was arrested in 2015 and allegedly tortured until he confessed. He later recanted his confessions. There is no physical evidence of his crimes, The New Arab reported. Darwish was a member of the country’s Shia minority.

Saudi Arabia issued a royal decree last year that said it would no longer execute individuals who were under 18 at the time of their offense, changing the sentence to 10 years in prison, and that it would apply retroactively.