How do Saudi Arabia execute?
SAUDI Arabia's Ministry of Interior confirmed the execution of 81 people on March 12, 2022.
The mass execution, which is the largest in the country's modern history, has been widely condemned by the international community, leading to renewed debate around state-sanctioned killings.
How do Saudi Arabia execute?
According to British legal action charity , which assists people sentenced to death, there are a range of execution methods employed in Saudi Arabia.
Beheading, crucifixion and stoning to death are techniques used to exercise capital punishment in Saudi Arabia, as well as death by firing squad.
According to Reprieve, beheading with a sword is the predominant form of execution.
Crucifixion is a rarely applied punishment and is a displaying of the body after beheading.
READ MORE ON SAUDI ARABIA
Firing squad deaths take place when a trained swordsman is not available, Reprieve states.
And stoning is used in cases of adultery.
In 2003, Muhammad Saad Al-Beshi, known as Saudi Arabia's leading executioner, gave an interview to in which he said: "Sometimes they ask me to use a sword and sometimes a gun. But most of the time I use the sword."
How many executions have there been in Saudi Arabia?
On Saturday, March 12, 2022, 81 Saudi and non-Saudi citizens were put to death.
Most read in The Sun
The executions bring the total number in the kingdom to 92 in 2022 alone, according to
MORE SAUDI NEWS
The 81 deaths in a single day dwarfs previous mass killings of 67 for the whole of 2021, and 27 for 2020.
Of the 81 men killed, 41 were from Saudi Arabia's Shi'a minority, seven from Yemen and one from Syria.
According to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia has conducted mass executions before, but not on the same scale.
Amnesty confirm that 37 people were executed in 2019 - most of whom were from the Shi'a minority - and 47 were executed in 2016, including a prominent Shi'a cleric.
What are the reasons for executions in Saudi Arabia?
Those executed had been convicted of a wide range of crimes including murder, armed robbery and arms smuggling.
According to human rights charity Amnesty International - who are calling for the abolition of the death penalty - others were accused of “disrupting the social fabric and national cohesion," and “participating in and inciting sit-ins and protest,.”
Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said charges against those executed included “allegiance to foreign terrorist organisations” and holding “deviant beliefs”.
Read More on The Sun
READ MORE ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The news outlet confirmed: “These individuals … were convicted of various crimes including murdering innocent men, women and children.
"Crimes committed by these individuals also include pledging allegiance to foreign terrorist organisations, such as ISIS [ISIL], al-Qaeda and the Houthis.”