Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — For around five years 29-year-old Khalid has been living in fear of being executed after he killed another man during a fight. Khalid's family told Al-Hayat daily that he killed the other man in self-defense. The death sentence has not been executed yet, but no one knows when it will be carried out. His two sisters, a few years his senior, have also been living in fear of waking up one day to learn their only brother is dead. The three siblings' parents died a long time ago. Although they cannot visit him, they are in constant touch with him thanks to messaging service WhatsApp. His sisters were able to smuggle in a cell phone inside his solitary cell that he uses to talk to them. From there, Khalid helps his sisters make decisions regarding their education, daily life, marriage and other matters, all on WhatsApp. Nadia, Khalid's sister, said sometimes it can cost up SR25,000 to sneak a cell phone to an inmate. On the day her younger sister got married, she had kept her brother posted on every detail at the wedding ceremony. “For three hours, my sister and I kept talking to our brother while at the same time crying tears of happiness as well as sadness.” Nadia says Fridays are the most difficult days for them because they do not know if their brother will be spared to see the next day or executed. “On Fridays my sister and I keep waiting patiently for our brother's text message to tell us he is okay. “Sometimes, he gets held up and cannot text us on time. “These moments are excruciating. “We live in torture until we get his reassuring message.” She and her sister said they wished they could visit their brother and hug him, but said he told them not to come in order to spare them any embarrassment they might face.
