RIYADH, 1 July 2007 — Family members of the deceased Ahmed Al-Bulawi — a Saudi man who collapsed and died at a center for the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Tabuk last month — are demanding execution for the person responsible for the death of their kin in the trial that begins today over his death.

A part-time commission member in Tabuk apprehended Bulawi after he was seen picking up a woman in his car near an amusement park. Both he and the woman were arrested and brought in for questioning at the commission’s center. At the center, Bulawi collapsed and died. It was later established that the deceased used to work for the woman’s family, as he drove them on errands for extra cash.

An official medical report in the investigation case cleared commission members of any wrongdoing that might have caused his death. The report mentioned that he died of a heart attack due to a medical condition.

With the case now being transferred from the General Investigation and Prosecution Authority (GIPA) to a religious court for suspects to be tried according to private rights and alleged mistakes in the apprehension, the deceased’s family is accusing the commission of causing the heart attack due to possible emotional pressure which could have led to his death.

Under the Saudi legal system, the private rights of crime victims (or their surviving dependents) are treated separately from the public rights brought on as charges from the state against suspected criminals. “They are demanding execution,” Ouda Al-Bulawi, the lawyer representing the family (not related), told Arab News over the phone from Tabuk. “This demand has been officially written down and signed by family members.”

An earlier statement from the Governorate of Tabuk said: “As a follow-up regarding those detained for their involvement in the case, we announce that the entire case was transferred to a religious court and then back to the GIPA to determine what rights were violated.”

The trial was delayed a week in order to give attorneys more time to submit the proper paperwork. The family’s attorney said that a panel of three judges would listen to the testimonies of the accused commission.

“It is a normal procedure that a panel of three judges deals with the case at the same time, since it is a (suspected) homicide case,” he said.

He said that four commission members would be tried, contrary to earlier reports of three.

Another commission member will soon stand on trial in a separate case, accused of causing the death of Salman Al-Huraisi, a Saudi man who was allegedly beaten to death, after the commission raided his apartment last month on the suspicion of consuming and selling alcohol.

A statement from the Governorate of Riyadh on Tuesday confirmed that a commission member was held responsible for the death of Al-Huraisi. The case is the first public trial of a commission member held responsible for the death of a civilian.

GIPA in Riyadh will also investigate the alleged mistakes committed by commission members during the forced entry into Al-Huraisi’s house, the search for alcohol and the arrest of family members.

Over 18 commission members participated in the raid on Al-Huraisi’s apartment last month, which does not include other commission members who were not officially assigned to the task.