THE British government was urged yesterday to redouble its efforts regarding the fate of three Saudi juveniles, who remain on death row a year after ministers said they were seeking “assurances” that they would not be executed.

Abdullah Hasan al-Zaher, Ali al Nimr and Dawood al-Marhoon were aged 15, 17 and 17 respectively when they were arrested for allegedly taking part in pro-democracy protests in the kingdom’s eastern province.

All three face beheading after they were sentenced in the secretive Specialised Criminal Court, on the basis of “confessions” which legal action charity Reprieve says were signed under torture.