WITNESSING A BEHEADING
Riyadh-August 14 1992
By Tom Migliore
Do not read this if you are squeamish
It was a hot bright sunny day like every other day I guess. We took a chance this Friday morning and went downtown to see if there was going to be an example of Saudi Justice. Since there are no prior announcement you have to just show up.
Once I was told, about a nurse orientation group touring the downtown area when they found themselves about to witness the unthinkable. The story is that 3 nurses quit on the spot and returned home.
Well we knew something was going
on this morning because there were police on corners for many blocks even before
we got near the downtown area. We arrived at what is called “Chop Chop
Square” about 10:30 AM. My friend Bob and I spent the better part of an hour
discussing the capital punishment issue.
Just before the noon prayer started two camper type vehicles arrived in the large courtyard outside the mosque. These vehicles were carrying 2 men accused of rape.
At the end of the noon Prayer, workers began to lay out 2 large plastic tarpaulins on the ground in the middle of the open air courtyard about 40 yards in front of me and about 10 yards apart from each other.
Shortly thereafter, two Sudanese accused men were led out of the vehicles in full view of the 3,000 or so spectators. They were blindfolded, shackled and handcuffed behind their back and led to the tarpaulins.
The other spectators and I were held back by a large police line that occasionally swung their batons to move the crowd back.
All of a sudden two police came to me and began to talk to me and point to my pager. They were very agitated. I began to realize that they were concerned that it was a camera. They inspected it thoroughly and gave it back to me.
The accused men were pushed to their knees still shackled and handcuffed. A policeman pulled down one of the condemned mans thobe to completely expose his neck.
A man 60 years or so wearing a shoulder holster with an automatic pistol in it and carrying a 3 foot long and 3 inch wide sword, stepped up behind the first man.
He placed the sword 1 inch behind the condemned mans neck for aim. He lifted the sword fast and brought it down faster. The cut went right through and the head flew forward. Blood was streaming up from the top of his neck on the tarpaulin for about 3 seconds. No one uttered a word except for an odd gasp.
The executioner casually wiped the sword on the thobe of the executed man.
A doctor examined the headless man for signs of life.
The handcuffs and shackles were removed and he was carried to a waiting ambulance.
The other man was not that cooperative.
He appeared to be moderately drugged. People say that they give the condemned men sedatives to calm them down.
His head kept dropping down
making it difficult for the executioner to get a good shot. After a few false
starts, the executioner stabbed the condemned man slightly in the side. The
condemned man immediately rose straight up giving the executioner a clear swing
which he immediately took.
By then I had more than enough of Saudi justice and proceeded to my vehicle.
Writers note.
In the top picture (Chop Chop Square) there is a man deep in the center of the picture with black pants and a white shirt. That is just about exactly where the executions take place in Riyadh. The other picture is an old file photo.
I remember what came to my mind when I realized I was going to witness someone die. I thought to myself this is some mothers son.
I also remember thinking to myself; I sure do hope they are guilty.
I could not sleep for 3 nights.
I will never ever go to another one.