Fawza Falih
Encyclopedia
Fawza Falih Muhammad Ali was a Saudi
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

 woman who made international headlines after she was condemned to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...

 for practicing witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...

 in 2006. In April 2011, Saudi authorities reported that she had died in 2010.

In a letter dated February 13, 2008, Christoph Wilcke, a researcher with Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...

, exhorted King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He succeeded to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. When Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1998 to 2005...

 to halt her execution. The letter states she was sentenced to death by beheading for the crimes of witchcraft, recourse to jinn
Genie
Jinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...

, and animal slaughter
Cruelty to animals
Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse or animal neglect, is the infliction of suffering or harm upon non-human animals, for purposes other than self-defense. More narrowly, it can be harm for specific gain, such as killing animals for food or for their fur, although opinions differ with...

. Human Rights Watch argued that Falih should not be executed because the crime of witchcraft is not defined by Saudi law, the judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

s failed to ensure a fair trial
Fair Trial
Fair Trial was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire. He was bred and raced by John Arthur Dewar who also bred and raced Tudor Minstrel....

, and Falih was unable to defend herself because of "significant procedural flaws throughout the trial".

On February 21, 2008 an online petition was posted by an interfaith assembly of religious leaders from numerous faith traditions, calling for a halt of the execution of Fawza Falih. As of 2010 the petition remains online for those who wish to add their names to the call for mercy.

In September the IHRC (Islamic Human Right Commission) reported that Fawza Falih was in "very bad health and is unable to stand up in her prison cell". The IHRC notes Fawza Falih was prevented from a defence at the trial, and that she was sentenced only on the basis of one man's testimony of allegedly causing him impotence. Denied access to her lawyer, a confession was extracted via 35 days of repeated beatings. The beatings were so severe she had to receive medical treatment. Fawza had to sign the offered confession by thumbprint due to her being illiterate. Although Fawza Falih had recanted her confession, and no further evidence had come forth, the Court of Appeals on September 1, 2006, upheld the decision to execute her anyway, in the name of "public interest". In April 2011, Saudi authorities reported that she had died in jail in 2010 after choking on her food.
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