Death-row man escapes day before pardon

A Saudi prisoner sentenced to death on murder charges escaped from jail in the Gulf Kingdom just a day before he was to be offered a pardon from the victim’s relatives following royal mediation, press reports said on Sunday.

But police said on Sunday they succeeded in capturing the armed prisoner during a 16-hour helicopter-backed operation in the mountains.

Ali Al Nasseem Al Qahtani had been jailed in the southern rugged hill town of Abha awaiting execution after he was convicted of murdering another man.

Mediation efforts by local tribal leaders had previously failed to persuade the victim’s family to accept diya (blood money) and pardon the killer.

The victim’s relatives finally agreed on forgiving the killer after mediation by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, who had also planned to receive them at his palace.

“Qahtani escaped just 24 hours before the victim’s family was to grant him pardon and save him from execution,” the Arabic language daily Sabq said, quoting Sheikh Ali Al Malki, an adviser to Prince Turki, the King’s son.

“The victim’s relatives accepted the Monarch’s mediation and agreed to grant pardon to the prisoner last week. They pardon was to be endorsed by court on Saturday, just a day after the prisoner escaped.”

Malki said the victim’s relatives postponed pardoning the prisoner after learning of his escape on the grounds they can not forgive a fugitive killer.

On Thursday, authorities announced a reward of SRtwo million (Dhtwo million) for information leading to Qahtani’s arrest.

But newspapers said on Sunday a large police force, backed by helicopters, succeeded in capturing Qahtani during a 16-hour operation in the mountains. They said Qahtani was armed with a machine gun, which he used against the raiding police but that no one was hurt.

The prisoner had sneaked out of jail by using a sharp object to saw the bars of his cell window, newspapers have said, quoting prison authorities.

Police said last week they had mounted a massive manhunt in search for the inmate, who was awaiting execution for more than a year.

“Authorities announced they will offer a reward of SRtwo million for any information leading to the arrest of Al Qahtani,” Sabq said after his escape.

It quoted police officials as saying they were investigating possible help offered by prison guards to Qahtani in his escape.

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