Unions are calling on foreign secretary Boris Johnson to help stop the imminent execution of 14 pro-democracy activists in Saudi Arabia.
The 14 activists include two who were minors when arrested at pro-democracy rallies in 2012, and one who is a disabled person.
They have been condemned to death and campaigners fear that they are about to be executed as they have all been moved to the capital Riyadh, where state executions take place.
UNISON’s Dave Prentis, along with the general secretaries of the NUT and UCU unions, have signed an open letter that urges Mr Johnson to use his position as foreign secretary to call on the Saudi authorities to stop the executions immediately.
The letter states: “United Nations’ observers at the time of the protests stated they were peaceful. Furthermore, Amnesty International claims that torture was used to extract the confessions from those who were arrested. These are two concrete reasons for the executions to be halted.”
“The United Kingdom’s abhorrence of capital punishment should extend to calling on its allies to observe internationally-recognised standards on the right to life. The use of beheadings as a form of control or punishment is abhorrent.”
The unions also wrote to the Saudi ambassador to the UK asking for clemency.
