The largest mass execution in the country’s modern history was carried out on Saturday for 81 prisoners convicted of various crimes, including murderers and members of military groups in Saudi Arabia.
According to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the executed were convicted of a variety of crimes, including “killing innocent men, women and children.” According to the same source, “the crimes committed by these individuals include swearing allegiance to foreign terrorist organizations such as ISIS, Al Qaeda and the Houthis, targeting residents of the country and going to areas of regional conflict to join terrorist organizations.” .
The total number of executions for the siege of Mecca’s Great Mosque by enemies of the Saudi family was higher than the total number of executions in January 1980, when 63 people were beheaded.
“The accused were given the right to a lawyer and all their rights were guaranteed under Saudi law during the judicial process, which they were convicted of for committing various heinous crimes that killed a large number of civilians and policemen,” the Saudi newspaper said. .
“The state will continue to take a firm and unwavering stand against terrorism and extremist ideologies that threaten the stability of the world,” it added.
In January 2016, Saudi Arabia executed 47 people, including a prominent anti-Shiite cleric who had rallied in the kingdom. Three years later, 37 Saudi nationals, most of them Shiites, were beheaded nationwide for crimes related to terrorism.