Saudi Arabia executes 81 people in one day
NBCNov 25, 2021
The Facts
In its first execution in five years, Kuwait on Wednesday hanged seven individuals, including four Kuwaitis, a Pakistani, a Syrian, and an Ethiopian. Two of the seven were women.
The state-run KUNA news agency said all seven had been convicted of premeditated murder, though the oil-rich nation has received condemnation from both rights and governmental organizations.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The Middle East is rampant with not only public executions but executions for non-violent crimes like drug trafficking, homosexuality, adultery, and religious heresy — a tool used to infuse fear among the public and silence dissent. The international community has a duty to oppose these human rights violations by calling for the total abolishment of the death penalty.
Establishment-critical narrative
While the West should continue to condemn the misuse of capital punishment in non-Western states, it shouldn't resort to blackmail as the EU has done with its threats to Kuwait's visa bid. International law allows capital punishment in certain instances, and Kuwait has sparingly used it for the most severe crimes.
