Middle East News

Saudi Arabia chops off hand of Egyptian for theft

Nov 5, 2007, 12:56 GMT

Riyadh - An Egyptian convicted of theft in Saudi Arabia had his right hand chopped off on Monday - the first hand amputation to be carried out in the kingdom in 2007.

The Egyptian national had his right hand cut off after he was convicted of pick-pocketing inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca, a Saudi ministry of interior statement said.

The ministry warned all those who toyed with the idea of committing a similar crime to beware of the punishment prescribed in the Islamic Sharia law.

Saudi Arabia implements a harsh, puritanical version of Islam, known as Wahhabism named after the founder of the rigid Islamic school of thought, Muhammad bin Abdel-Wahhab.

Under Saudi law, if a convicted thief offends again, his left hand will be cut off.