Saudi Arabia announced yesterday that 81 prisoners had been executed for various crimes and this particular move is being widely talked about.
The Saudi Arabian media agency reported that "all those convicted were guilty of a number of heinous crimes." The press release states that these include those associated with extremist movements such as Al Qaeda and Huthi.
Criminals
The Saudi state media has published the crimes committed by the convicts yesterday in Saudi Arabia, where criminals are usually beheaded and executed. It said: "These individuals, totalling 81, were convicted of various crimes including murdering innocent men, women and children. They also include convictions for targeting government personnel and vital economic sites, the killing of law enforcement officers and maiming their bodies, and planting land mines to target police vehicles. The convictions include crimes of kidnapping, torture, rape, smuggling arms and bombs into the kingdom."
Of the 81 people killed, 73 were Saudi citizens, seven were Yemeni and one was a Syrian national.
Inquiry
SPA said all those executed were tried in Saudi courts, with trials overseen by 13 judges, held over three separate stages for each individual.
"The kingdom will continue to take a strict and unwavering stance against terrorism and extremist ideologies that threaten stability," the news agency added.
It is to be noted that Saudi Arabia had executed 63 people in a single day in1980 who captured the Mecca Mosque.