ARAR – The death sentence of a well-known Saudi prisoner in Iraq for illegally crossing the Iraqi border was commuted on Tuesday to 15 years in prison by an Iraqi court, sources told Okaz. Abdullah Al-Qahtani had been sentenced twice to death during his incarceration in Iraq. The first death sentence verdict handed to Al-Qahtani was revoked after investigations showed he had no hand in the murder of some jewelers in Baghdad. He was behind bars when the murder occurred a few years ago. The second death sentence was handed to him after he was accused of helping a group of terrorists shoot down some police officers in Baghdad. The court handed down the sentence despite the lack of evidence against Al-Qahtani. Meanwhile, sources told Okaz that representatives from the Saudi Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the National Society for Human Rights and Saudi Red Crescent Authority are due to arrive in Baghdad in the next two weeks. They are expected to visit Saudi prisoners and discuss their cases with Iraqi authorities. A report about the visit and the prisoners' conditions will be written and sent to the higher authorities when the representatives return to the Kingdom.
