Dad’s pardon saves son’s killer from death

A Saudi murderer was saved from the gallows after the victim’s father declared in court he had forgiven him, Almadina newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Hamad Al Nazawi said he decided to pardon the Saudi killer of his son following family consultations and mediation by tribal leaders in the area, it said.

Nazawi’s son, 22, was murdered by the unnamed Saudi man in the western port of Yanbu nearly five years ago. The killer faced execution without the payment of diya (blood money) and forgiveness by the victim’s father, according to the daily.

“Nazawi stated in court that he decided to drop the case against his son’s killer without receiving any blood money,” the paper said. It did not make clear if the defendant would be immediately released.