Authorities in Saudi Arabia beheaded a woman Monday in Al-Jawf for allegedly practicing witchcraft and sorcery. The Saudi Interior Ministry confirmed the execution of Amina bint Abdel Halim Nassar, but released few details about the circumstances surrounding her arrest. The ministry claims Nassar was convicted after a thorough investigation into her crimes.
According to various media reports, Nassar was accused of tricking people into giving her money to treat illnesses. She allegedly charged nearly $800 for each treatment. Nassar was reportedly arrested in April 2009 after an investigator looked in to claims against her.
Human rights group Amnesty International condemned Nassar’s execution, saying her case “highlights the urgent need for a halt in executions in Saudi Arabia. "While we don't know the details of the acts which the authorities accused Amina of committing, the charge of sorcery has often been used in Saudi Arabia to punish people, generally after unfair trials, for exercising their right to freedom of speech or religion," said Philip Luther, the group’s interim director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.
According to Amnesty, Saudi Arabia has executed 79 people this year, including a Sudanese national convicted of sorcery.
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