SAUDI ARABIA: MURDERER OF SAUDI FLIGHT ATTENDANT EXECUTED

June 17, 2023:

The death penalty of a Saudi murderer, who was convicted of burning alive his friend, was carried out in the Makkah region on June 15, 2023, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
The Saudi court found Barakat bin Jibreel Al-Kinani guilty of the gruesome murder of Bandar bin Taha Al-Qarhadi, a flight attendant of the Saudi Arabian Airlines, and sentenced him to death in January 2023, six weeks after committing the murder.
The heinous crime shook the Saudi street after emerging a video of the killing that went viral on social media.
Bandar Al-Qarhadi, a 40-year-old flight attendant from Jeddah, and father of two, was killed by Barakat Al-Kinani, his childhood friend and colleague after being handcuffed inside his car, doused with gasoline, and lit on fire.
According to earlier media reports, the murder occurred when Al-Qarhadi had stopped his car on the side of the road in an attempt to settle a longstanding dispute with Al-Kinani.
The friend argued with Al-Qarhaid before the latter was found himself handcuffed to the steering wheel, doused in petrol and lit aflame.
Video footage of Bandar Al-Qarhadi crying to his friend in a dying frenzy about what he had done wrong was circulated on social media. Witnesses reported that Al-Qarhadi was able to free himself somehow and a video has emerged of him screaming in pain asking, “What did I do” and “Am I sweet?”
Al-Qarhadi was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his serious burn injuries. Taha Al-Qarhadi, father of Bandar, told Okaz earlier that the murder took place in the parking lot of the Southern Housing Project in Jeddah.
He said that the perpetrator accompanied his son Bandar and slept in his house in the Al-Sanabel neighbourhood before taking place the killing.
Earlier, speaking to local media, Taha said: “My son Bandar was known for his kindness... He had been working for Saudi Airlines for 20 years, and he was known for nothing but kindness and good manners.”
The security authorities were able to arrest the perpetrator and referred him to the competent court after framing charges of murder, setting cars on fire, and drug abuse. The court noted that the defendant failed to help the victim when he screamed for help, saying that this shows the rootedness of his criminal mentality, the Ministry of Interior said in its statement.
The death penalty, issued by the court was upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, and eventually a royal order was issued to enforce the verdict. 
The ministry statement said that the murderer was a drug addict and seized from him methamphetamine. The convict was also caused burning of four cars that were parked in the area.
According to the ministry, the perpetrator’s crime was also caused by his consumption of the narcotic methamphetamine. The ministry noted that the security authorities were able to arrest the perpetrator in a short span of time, which reflects the efficiency of the security system in the country, and that the state does not show any leniency in the application of the provisions of the Shariah law against such criminals.