http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/19/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-prince-executed-salman.html 2016-10-19 01:02:46 Saudi Arabia Executes a Prince Convicted in a Fatal Shooting The rare execution of a prince rocketed around social media, with some Saudis saying they never imagined such a thing would happen and others saying it showed the quality of their justice system. === BEIRUT, Lebanon — For the first time in four decades, Prince Turki bin Saud bin Turki bin Saud al-Kabeer was put to death in the capital, Riyadh, according to The rare event rocketed around the kingdom’s social media networks, with some Saudis saying they never imagined such a thing would happen and others arguing that it showed the quality of their justice system, which follows a strict interpretation of Shariah law and is often criticized by human rights groups and Western governments for what they consider harsh and arbitrary punishments. “The greatest thing is that the citizen sees the law applied to everyone, and that there are not big people and other small people,” Abdul-Rahman al-Lahim, a prominent Saudi lawyer, Other Saudis lauded the monarch, Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s few remaining absolute monarchies. The thousands of members of the royal family enjoy perks not available to the rest of the country’s 20 million citizens. Tuesday’s execution was the first time that a member of the royal family had been put to death for murder by the state since 1975, when Prince Faisal bin Musaid was beheaded in Riyadh for assassinating King Faisal. A New York Times A couple of years later, a princess and her husband were executed for alleged adultery after the princess refused to marry a man selected by the family. The princess, Mishael, was shot as her husband, Khalid Muhallal, watched. He was then beheaded, according to a New York Times It was unclear how many people watched the execution of Prince Turki on Tuesday or what their immediate reaction was. The state news media report did not release his age or provide any other biographical information. Another member of the royal family, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, said by telephone from Riyadh that Prince Turki was from one of the most prominent branches of the royal family after that of the direct descendants of King Abdulaziz, who founded the modern Saudi state in 1932. That genealogy earned Prince Turki no extra credit with the courts or with the king, Prince Faisal said. “The king has always said that there is no difference in the law between princes and others, and I think that this is clear manifestation of the reality of that fact,” he said. According to Saudi reports, Prince Turki shot a man during “a group fight” that occurred a few years ago. Adam Coogle, a researcher at Human Rights Watch who tracks Saudi Arabia, said the execution of the prince did not affect his organization’s criticisms of the country. Saudi Arabia has executed 143 people so far this year, according to a count by the group, which opposes the death penalty in all cases.