Saudi top court reportedly upholds death sentence for Youssef al-Manasif
Saudi Arabia's top court has reportedly upheld the death sentence for Youssef al-Manasif, who was arrested in 2017 for joining protests and attending funerals in his Shiite community.
He was convicted by the specialized criminal court, a secretive tribunal set up for terrorism-related cases, even though his actions happened when he was still a teenager.
Allegations of torture in Saudi case
Manasif's case has sparked outrage over reports of torture and a confession made under pressure. Plus, he didn't meet his state-appointed lawyer until five years after being arrested.
This goes against a 2020 royal decree meant to end executions for crimes committed by minors, but rights groups say at least 17 people who were children at the time of their alleged offenses have been executed in Saudi Arabia since 2015.
The U.N. is urging Saudi Arabia to actually enforce its own rules and stop executing minors.