Saudi Arabia beheads 80th convict this year
Saudi Arabia has beheaded one of its nationals convicted of drug trafficking, bringing to 80 the number of such executions in the kingdom so far this year.
The Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency that the man, identified as Rabie al-Sai’ari, was beheaded in the southern province of Najran on Tuesday.
The man was reportedly found guilty of smuggling an undisclosed amount of hashish into the kingdom.
The latest beheading brings to 80 the number of the people executed across the kingdom so far in 2015. While it is the fifth month of the year, the number of the executions by Saudi Arabia is already moving toward the 87 executions the country carried out in 2014 in total.
Convicts are executed in Saudi Arabia by sword.
Saudi authorities claim the executions show the kingdom’s commitment to “maintaining security and realizing justice.”
Saudi Arabia has come under particular criticism from human rights groups for the executions.
Amnesty International says Saudi Arabia has one of the highest execution rates in the world.
Muslim clerics have also slammed Riyadh for indicting and then executing suspects without giving them a chance to defend themselves, describing the Saudi authorities as uncivilized.
Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Saudi law.
JR/HSN/HJL
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