The information apparently came from a police officer speaking on condition of anonymity, and mentioned no names or further details. On 19 April Amnesty International wrote to the Saudi Arabian Minister of Interior, seeking clarification of the report, and appealed to the government not to carry out the floggings. Amnesty International also sought details of the charges against the nine to assess whether they were prisoners of conscience. As usual the government has not replied, demonstrating yet again that victims of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia must suffer in secrecy. Flogging is mandatory in Saudi Arabia for a number of offences, including sexual offences, and can also be used at the discretion of judges as an alternative or addition to other punishments.
Sentences can range from dozens to thousands of lashes.
Amnesty International considers the punishment of flogging to be cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment amounting to torture, in contravention of Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that 'No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment'. 601 New Hampshire Ave. This information is from Amnesty International's research headquarters in London, England. A.I. is an independent worldwide movement working for the international protection of human rights. It seeks the release of people detained because of their beliefs, color, sex, ethnic origin, language or religious creed, provided they have not used nor advocated violence.