Saudi family urges US to intervene in teens’ possible death sentence

Abdullah al-Derazi and Youssef al-Manasif have appealed to secretary of state Antony Blinken as their cases are being reviewed

Two Saudis who were arrested and allegedly tortured for crimes they were accused of committing as minors are facing an imminent threat of execution, in what human rights experts say is a sign of the kingdom's violation of its own promise to end death penalty cases against child defendants.

In a letter to US secretary of state Antony Blinken, a family member of one defendant, Abdullah al-Derazi, describes how Abdullah was swept off the street and disappeared for three months in August 2014 for protest crimes he is alleged to have committed when he was 17 years old.