Manama: Saudis have urged their government to impose a cap on blood money amounts given to the families or next of kin of killed people, saying that the practice has been abused.
“We need to have a ceiling to avoid the tragedies that are unfolding today,” a blogger posted on the site of Sabq, a news provider. “The victim’s family should pardon the culprit, ask for a sensible amount or refuse to pardon him. The option to ask for incredible amounts of money should be ruled out and the government should step in,” the blogger, I Am Here, wrote.
Saudis were reacting angrily to the news that a father had asked for 100 million Saudi riyals (Dh97.78 million, $26.7 million) to pardon the killer of his son.
The father, contacted by several prominent tribal leaders and personalities, has agreed to lower the blood money amount to 80 million riyals and eventually to 45 million riyals ($12 million.
However, Saudis said that the amount was exorbitant and should not be tolerated, arguing that it was similar to trading in people’s lives.
