Thousands of Pakistanis imprisoned in Saudi Arabia and dozens sentenced to death in the ultra-conservative kingdom have been denied their legal rights to a defence, a report in Islamabad warned Wednesday. Pakistani migrants are “exceptionally disempowered and marginalised,” Ijaz told AFP, adding that the group faces a “premodern discriminatory” criminal justice system in Saudi Arabia. With 1.6 million nationals, Pakistanis constitute the second largest foreign community in Saudi Arabia, and most are members of a low-skilled workforce with few rights. Some 2,795 Pakistanis are currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, the study says. Since the beginning of the year, 31 people of all nationalities have been executed in Saudi Arabia, according to an AFP count.

Source: Manila Bulletin March 07, 2018 21:56 UTC