The verdict handed down by Saudi Arabia's Shariah Court...

The verdict handed down by Saudi Arabia's Shariah Court to the hijackers of a Russian aircraft suggests that the court practices double standards, the deputy head of the Russian governmental administration Alexei Volin stated.
The hijackers received jail terms of six and four years, which is inconsistent with the Islamic courts' usual practices, Volin said.
Chechens Deni Magomerzayev and Iriskhan Arsayev were sentenced to six and four years, respectively. On March 15, 2001, they hijacked a Tu-154 plane owned by Vnukovo Airlines that was carrying 174 passengers from Istanbul to Moscow. Saudi Arabia's special forces killed the bandit leader, Supyan Arsayev.
A Russian flight attendant and a Turkish passenger were killed during the incident.
The Shariah Court is known for ordering arm amputation for theft, he said. "It turned out that aircraft theft, which is what hijacking is, was judged as a minor crime compared to stealing a chicken or a wallet," he said.
The hijackers are responsible for the deaths of two people and their actions jeopardized the lives of over 170 people. "According to routine practices, such crimes carry a much heavier sentence, including the death penalty," he said.
"This ruling might represent Saudi Arabia as a breeding ground for potential terrorists," he said.
However, history shows that all countries sponsoring international terrorists soon encounter serious difficulties, he said.