Former State Security Court President to “Al-Taj”: The Death Penalty Is Expected for the Accused in the Hamoud Church Case

Al-Taj News – Haneen Zubaideh

From Prison to the Execution Site.. Who Has the Authority to Determine the Location of the Execution?

The former president of the State Security Court, attorney Dr. Fawaz Al-Bqour, suggested the issuance of death sentences against the defendants in the Hamoud Church case, if the charges brought against them are proven, considering that the gravity of the committed acts, and their resulting martyrdom of nine people and injury of others, makes the death penalty highly expected.

Al-Bqour said, in statements to “Al-Taj News”, that what occurred during the funeral constitutes an extremely dangerous act, as it targeted unarmed people participating in funeral rites who had no expectation of being subjected to gunfire and assault in this manner, which claimed the lives of nine people and injured others.

He added that he does not state with certainty that a death sentence will be issued, but he sees that this penalty is expected in light of the nature and gravity of the criminal acts committed.

Multiple Charges Do Not Necessarily Mean the Existence of External Links

Regarding the multiple charges listed in the indictment, which included carrying out terrorist acts leading to the death of a human being, conspiracy with the intent to carry out terrorist acts, promoting the ideas of a terrorist group, alongside possessing weapons and ammunition with the intent to use them in terrorist acts, Al-Bqour explained to “Al-Taj” that these charges do not necessarily and definitively indicate the existence of links with other persons or external parties.

He indicated that the possibility of the existence of planning, communications, or relationships with terrorist groups and takfiri ideas remains present, pointing out that the assigned charges reflect the acts committed in the case, and that the charge of promoting the ideas of a terrorist group may indicate the defendants’ affiliation with one of the terrorist groups.

He noted that adopting such ideas does not come from a vacuum, considering that the individuals who committed murder and fired upon unarmed civilians in this manner might be capable of committing similar or more dangerous acts at any time.

Premeditation Is Not a Condition for the Death Penalty in Terrorism Cases

Al-Bqour emphasized during his conversation with “Al-Taj” that advance planning is not a necessary condition for imposing the death penalty under the Anti-Terrorism Law, explaining that the matter differs from the crime of murder under the Penal Code, where sentencing to death requires the presence of premeditation, with the deliberation and planning it entails.

He added that the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Law do not necessarily require a time period for planning, pointing out that a person’s execution of a terrorist act using a weapon and directing it toward any person leading to their death may necessitate the death penalty, even if the act occurred suddenly.

Where Is the Death Penalty Carried Out?.. Al-Bqour Clarifies

In a related context, Al-Bqour noted that the legal text originally stipulates carrying out the death penalty inside prisons; however, His Majesty the King holds the authority to specify another location to carry out the sentence if he so wishes.

It is worth noting that the Attorney General of the State Security Court, Brigadier General Military Judge Ahmad Talaat Shahaltough, stated today that the Public Prosecution of the State Security Court completed all investigative procedures, which included hearing the testimonies of the prosecution’s witnesses, collecting evidence related to the crime scene, preparing reports related to the weapons and ammunition used in committing the terrorist act against the (St. George) church in the town of Hamoud / Karak on 23/10/2026, and interrogating the defendants in the case who carried out the terrorist act and those who contributed to its commission.