'For sake of God and family', Saudi man forgives murderer of his two sons

Six months after the killing of two brothers by their cousin, the Saudi father, Saa’d Mohammed Abdallah Al- Mansour Al- Shahrani, decided to forgive his sons’ murderer, and also did not insist on the customary blood money being paid.

He said, “I waived this crime for the sake of God. The murderer is my uncle’s grandson and my daughter’s husband and he killed two of my children - one 28-year-old and the other is 26-year-old - and injured their younger brother by shooting them six months ago.”

“The case is deeply painful looking at the close familial connection between us and the murderer who got into a dispute with my sons and shot them,” he added.

“I was sad when my cousin (the killer's father) got arrested. I consider him to be my brother and I paid for his bail myself, because he should not be held responsible for his son’s doing. Although the police officers were surprised by my gesture of forgiveness and my fear for my old brother and his health, I told them that I will remain in jail with him until he is set free.”

He clarified that the leaders of the tribes and the old men came to him to ask him to forgive the killer.

“I was affected by having people coming and asking me to forgive him, and I forgave him for God’s sake. Looking at the public’s right and the fact that the 28-year-old victim has a young son who has a right to redress from the killer, I don’t know when he will be released.”