The families of serious crime victims in Saudi Arabia are demanding millions of dollars in blood money.Officials and clerics have condemned the excessive requests, claiming the ancient Islamic practice intended to financially support the family of murder victims has been corrupted, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.
They cited the case of Majid al-Mahmoudi, who was fatally stabbed over two years ago by 18-year-old Badr al-Hasnani.
Despite Hasnani being sentenced to death under Islamic Law by beheading, Mahmoudi’s family chose to grant clemency to Hasnani in exchange for $2mn in diyah, or blood money, much more than his family can afford.
Last month, tribal leaders in the central city of Kharj demanded nearly $11mn to pardon a man who had killed a member of their tribe.
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