Saudi Arabia to Give British Grandfather 350 Lashes As Punishment | When Will the Gulf State’s Tyranny End?

Though an Islamic State and technically being governed under the hands of God, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hardly tempers its own conception of justice with mercy—and for this reason, family members of a British grandfather who is awaiting 350 lashes are worried.

Karl Andree’s only crime is that officials found home made bottles of win in his car—and despite being 74 years old, that’s not enough of a reason to exonerate him from the accompanying degrading punishment.

According to MailOnline, “The children of Karl Andree, 74, fear the barbaric punishment will kill him after he has already spent a year in a notorious prison in the strict Islamic kingdom. They say his body is weak from years of cancer treatment and are appealing to David Cameron to personally intervene to bring him home.”

The 350 lashes is not the only punishment for his crime, he was sentenced to 12 months in jail which he has already served–with the flogging pending.

Though the family members of Karl Andree have called on UK’s Prime Minister-David Cameron to intervene, it’s more likely the British Prime Minister wouldn’t interfere—and even if he does, the Kingdom may ignore his plea considering their posture when it comes to such issues and foreign governments’ interference.

Governments interfering in individual citizens’ cases as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned is not even a reasonable and sustainable move.

The Islamic state has shocking human rights records and it continues to disregard the fundamental human rights of its citizens and foreign nationals within its jurisdiction and therefore, a robust step must be taken to bring the Kingdom under the checks of international law.

And this must start with critical dialogue, followed by appropriate sanctions—but because of the Kingdom’s wealth, the west continues to ignore its human rights records. When the west takes note, the Kingdom does nothing to correct it or ensure that at least basic human dignity is accorded to those within its borders.

Western states continue to engage in business with Saudi Arabia which reasonable suggests to the Kingdom that, it can continue to do whatever it does and still maintain its liberal friends.

As it stands now, “drug use, homosexuality, adultery and apostasy are all punishable with death in the hard-line Sunni nation. Saudi Arabia also bans women from driving and enjoying other rights and regularly jails political opponents of the regime.”

This is the same country which sparked global outrage after sentencing blogger-Raif Badawi to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail for insulting Islam. Currently, Ali Mohammed Al-Nimr, 17, who was arrested for attending an anti-government rally in 2012 and was found guilty awaits death by crucifixion and beheading.

Human rights organisations incessantly condemn Saudi Arabia for the various human rights abuses but that doesn’t do much to twist the supposed hands of God being used to govern the state—and therefore, it’s time the world takes a decisive approach capable of pushing the Kingdom out of its long standing barbarism.

Let’s hope Karl Andree is spared the 350 lashes and even if that happens, what about the many others suffering equal or worse fate under the tyranny of the Gulf nation?