Amnesty International has condoned a Saudi Arabian court ruling that was clearly in violation of human rights. In the ruling, the court pronounced that a man be paralyzed for his crime of stabbing a man in the spine which left him paralyzed. The crime was committed 10 years ago, and since then the accused was in jail.

Ali al Khawaher, 24 years old was the accused who was ordered to be paralyzed medically unless he pays a fine of 1 million Saudi Riyals ($270,000 USD) to the victim. The victim according to Saudi Gazette was a childhood friend whom he stabbed in a dispute rendering him paralyzed and dependant on a wheelchair.

The Islamic Sharia Law enforced by the Saudi Arabian courts doesn't object tit for tat kind of punishments which often violate the human rights. However, they can be forgiven if suitable money is payed in exchange as blood money.

Paralyzing as a punishment is nothing less of a torture, the Amnesty's deputy director in the Middle east said. "That such a punishment might be implemented is utterly shocking, even in a context where flogging is frequently imposed as a punishment for some offences, as happens in Saudi Arabia," she added.

A human rights group in Saudi has not yet responded to the questions.

(AW- Anil)