Saudi Arabia carries out 100th execution this year and is on course to set beheadings record
Amnesty has the record number of executions in the kingdom at 192 in 1995
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Saudi Arabia has reportedly taken its number of executions for the year to 100, far exceeding last year’s tally and putting it on course for a new record.
According to a statement from the Saudi Press Agency, two more convicted criminals were killed by the government on Monday – including a foreign national guilty only of a non-violent drug smuggling offence.
Ismael al-Tawm, a Syrian man convicted of transporting “a large amount of banned amphetamine pills into the kingdom”, was beheaded in the northern region of Jawf, the AFP news agency reported.
Another man, identified as Rami al-Khaldi, was found guilty of stabbing a fellow Saudi national to death and was executed in the province of Taef.
The tally of 100 for this year, reported by AFP, exceeds both its own tally for Saudi executions last year of 87 and rights group Amnesty International’s, of “90+”.
According to Middle East Eye, the surge in numbers sees the country on the brink of setting a new record for beheadings – other nations like Iran, China and Pakistan have killed more people, but by different methods.
It also puts Saudi Arabia on course to beat its own record of total executions which, according to Amnesty, was set at 192 in 1995.
Earlier this year, the charity's Saudi Arabia researcher Sevag Kechichian observed that the kingdom had reached what an “unprecedented” rate of executions, and called on Salman to “put an end to this shameful record”.
The charity warned that the deaths were all the more concerning given almost half were for drugs-related offences.
But according to Middle East Eye’s Husain Abdulla, the rise in executions can be directly linked to the new King Salman and his recently-appointed inner circle, despite the apparent independence of the Saudi judiciary.
“These men have worked tirelessly to further conflate criminal justice with the authority of the monarchy, all while reasserting the government’s seemingly unshakeable commitment to authoritarian rule,” he reports.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments