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Middle Eastern country Saudi Arabia has carried out the execution of 81 men over the past 24 hours. The count included seven Yemenis and one Syrian national.
As per state news agency Saudi Press Agency, the process took place on several charges, including “allegiance to foreign terrorist organizations” and holding “deviant beliefs,” calling it the largest known mass execution carried out in the country's contemporary history.
In 2020, the number of executions reported was 27, while in 2021, there were 67. On March 10, the Saudi Press Agency cited a statement from the interior ministry, which read:
"These individuals were convicted of various crimes including murdering innocent men, women and children."
Several of them are also believed to be members of Al-Qaeda and the Daesh terror group, as well as supporters of Yemen's Houthi rebels. The statement went on to read:
“The accused were provided with the right to an attorney and were guaranteed their full rights under Saudi law during the judicial process. The kingdom will continue to take a strict and unwavering stance against terrorism and extremist ideologies that threaten the stability of the entire world."
How are executions carried out in Saudi Arabia?
Although the reports did not mention how the executions were carried out, in the Kingdom, death-row inmates are usually beheaded.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia had fewer death penalty cases, but under King Salman and his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom continued to behead convicts.
Reports also noted that 37 Saudi nationals were convicted of attempting to kill security officers and targeting police stations and convoys.
By March 11, 2022, Saudi Arabia had executed 11 people convicted of various crimes, an AFP tally based on official announcements showed. This brings the total number of executions this year to 92.
Around 50 countries around the world still practice the death penalty.
Amnesty International estimates that 88 percent of the 483 reported executions in 2020 occurred in just four countries: Iran, with 246; Egypt, with 107; Iraq, with 45; and Saudi Arabia, with 27 executions.
Saudi Arabia's last mass execution took place in January 2016, when 47 people were executed, including a prominent opposition Shia leader who had rallied demonstrators.
The kingdom executed 37 citizens — mostly minority Shia — in mass executions across the country in 2019 for alleged terrorism-related crimes.
The human rights record of the Kingdom has been under increasing scrutiny since the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 by rights groups and Western allies.
The country has come under criticism for its restrictions on political and religious expression, as well as for enforcing the death penalty against minors.
The Saudi government denies accusations of human rights violations, saying it protects its national security in accordance with its laws.
The accused were guaranteed full rights under Saudi law, including the right to a lawyer, during the judicial process, the SPA clarified.
