The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has written to Mr Abdulrahman S. Alahmed, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the European Union, expressing grave concern about the fate of 14 imprisoned young Saudi citizens who have been sentenced to death by beheading. 

The men, members of the Shia community, were sentenced following a mass trial for taking part in public protests.

”One of these men, Mujtaba’a al-Sweikat, is a prospective college student accepted to study at Western Michigan University (WMU), an institution of higher education whose faculty is represented by one of our sister organisations, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT),” IFUT General Secretary.

“The prospect of the death sentence of the 14 imprisoned young men horrifies IFUT, an organisation that opposes the death penalty, as does the European Union and its member states,” Mike Jennings said.

The letter to the Saudi Ambassador appeals to his “compassion as a father and son” to intervene with Saudi King, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to suspend the sentences.

The King’s signature is now all that stands between the 14 men and imminent execution. It is believed that at least 66 people have been executed  this year alone in Saudi Arabia, the highest in the world.

ENDS

For further information on this media release, please contact:

John Gallagher, John Gallagher Consulting. Tel. 087 9369888

Mike Jennings, General Secretary, IFUT. Tel. 087 6776747.