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Death row inmates desperate to escape execution in Saudi Arabia call the BBC
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Advertisement AdvertisementHabtom, who like most of those the BBC spoke to is from Tigray, was found guilty of smuggling hashish, a type of cannabis.
In Saudi Arabia, on the judge's discretion, a guilty verdict can result in a death sentence.
Other prisoners that the BBC spoke to had similar stories about the legal system.
The official Saudi statements all refer to hashish smuggling but those the BBC spoke to talked about khat.
The African Union's human rights commission has also urged Ethiopia to safeguard the lives of Ethiopians facing execution in Saudi Arabia.