Thursday, Aug 20, 2015
Manama: Saudi Arabia on Thursday executed two Chadians for killing a French man last year.
The interior ministry said Eisa Saleh Hassan and Ishaq Eisa Ahmad were found guilty of joining a terrorist organisation and shooting the French national and of monitoring vehicles belonging to a consulate in the Red Sea city of Jeddah and shooting employees.
The two also faced charges of seeking to target foreign nationals and of being in possession of weapons to attack people and undermine security.
The court said the duo followed a deviant ideology that permitted the targeting of some people.
“Despite all steps the two men took to evade justice, the security agencies were able to arrest them and foil their plans,” the interior ministry said. “Investigations led to levelling charges against them and to referring them to the competent court. The death penalty ruling issued by the judges was upheld by the Court of Appeals and subsequently by the Supreme Court. A royal order was issued to carry out the sentence,” the ministry said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
According to Saudi reports last year, Laurent Barbot, the Frenchman who was killed in September on a quiet residential street in Jeddah by the two Chadians, worked for a military technology systems company.
According to Arab Times, Barbot, in his 40s, was shot through the front window of his car while driving back to Al Zahra district’s Sierra Village compound, home to a large expatriate community.
Barbot reportedly was on his way home from a supermarket located less than 400 meters from the residential compound and had to slow down at a speed bump.
At that moment, an unknown car pulled up alongside his vehicle and its occupants opened fire with a machine gun, striking Barbot in the neck and chest.
By Habib Toumi Bureau Chief
Gulf News 2015. All rights reserved.
