Flogging abolished as punishment in Saudi Arabia

KABUL (Pajhwok): In a major decision, the Saudi Supreme Court has abolished flogging as a form of punishment as part of the government’s reform agenda.

In a landmark ruling on Saturday, the top court said the "human rights advances" were in line with reforms pushed by King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Human rights groups have long been critical of court-ordered floggings in Saudi Arabia, which is often blamed for cracking down on dissent and the use of the death penalty.

Al-Jazeera quoted the Saudi Supreme Court as saying the latest reform was intended to make the kingdom conform to human rights norms against corporal punishment.

“In future, judges will have to choose between fines and/or jail sentences, or non-custodial alternatives like community service,” the court said in a statement.

The latest reform, reported by Saudi media, would ensure that convicts were no longer awarded lashes, according to the state human rights commission.

PAN Monitor/mud