Saudi judge seeks to play down execution comments

RIYADH // The head of Saudi Arabia’s highest court, who caused a furore by declaring that televison station owners responsible for broadcasting immoral programmes could be executed, sought yesterday to play down his comments. The original remarks of Sheikh Saleh al Lihedan, chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Council, reportedly made some time ago on a radio phone-in show, were highlighted last week by the Dubai-based and Saudi-owned satellite television channel Al Arabiya. In reply to a listener’s question about “bad programmes” on television, Sheikh Lihedan, 79, said: “What does the owner of these networks think when he provides seduction, obscenity and vulgarity? Those calling for corrupt beliefs, certainly it’s permissible to kill them. Those calling for sedition, those who are able to prevent it but don’t, it is permissible to kill them.” full story