The Interior Ministry has reported the execution today in the town of Sakaka in Jouf Province of three murderers: Hisham bin Awwad Minzil Al-Awdhah, Mohammed bin Awadh bin Rija Al-Belhood, and Amjad bin Abdulaziz bin Khamis Al-Jaber. A collaborator, Sultan bin Abdulrahman bin Mana'a Al-Mazyad, was sentenced to five years in prison. The three executed criminals, who met in Afghanistan, had returned to Jouf, where they were given shelter by the fourth. They formed a gang, conspiring to assassinate security officers and government officials, and were found guilty of murder, malicious wounding, and kidnapping, as well as of abusing religion to justify their crimes.

The incidents took place between April 11, 2002 and April 21, 2003. During this period, they killed four people: a judge, Shaikh Abdulrahman Al-Suhaibani, in Sakaka; the Undersecretary of Jouf Governorate Dr. Hamad Al-Wardi; Major-General Homoud Al-Swailem of the Jouf police; and security officer Ali Al-Ruwaili. They also shot and wounded a number of security officers, and at one point kidnapped an Indian expatriate worker, leaving him tied up and taking his car.

Return