ACCORDING to a news item, a Turkish man convicted of drug trafficking, was executed in Riyadh. Seventy people have been beheaded in Saudi Arabia this year, whereas 79 executions were made in 2013.

Rape, murder, apostasy, drug trafficking and armed robbery are all punishable by death in the Kingdom. The use of capital punishment in Saudi Arabia is based on Islamic law.

The public beheading and other type of executions have attracted international criticism and Amnesty International has termed these sentences barbaric, gruesome and appalling. Capital punishment and severe laws are the most powerful methods for curbing crimes. The punishment should be prominent and an example for criminals in particular and for the public in general.

Japan, Singapore, Denmark, Switzerland are on the list of low crimes and are considered the safest places on earth. This is the result of severe laws and tight security in these countries. In Japan and Singapore, the murder rate is up to 0.4 per 100,000 people, while thefts and robberies are virtually zero.

Peace, harmony and a tranquil atmosphere among the inhabitants are ensured by police officers who made these countries a safe place.

Mumtaz Husain

Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 27th , 2014