Saudi Arabia executed 81 suspected offenders on Saturday, the country’s greatest mass execution in modern history.
Those executed had been convicted of a variety of crimes, including murder, as well as membership in militant organisations such as al-Qaeda and support for Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The killings were published by the Saudi Press Agency, which did not explain where they took place, the importance of the timing, or the mode of execution – although the monarchy is known for beheading criminals.
According to the report, the majority of the dead captives were Saudis. In addition, seven Yemenis and one Syrian were slain.
“During the legal procedure, the accused were given the right to an attorney and were granted their full rights under Saudi law, which found them guilty of many grave offenses.”
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has relaxed some of Saudi Arabia’s strict policies.
“The kingdom will maintain a firm and unrelenting stance against terrorism and extreme ideas that jeopardize global stability,” the study said.
The capital punishment, according to critics of King Salman and his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is unjust and clandestine.
“By now, the world should know that when Mohammed bin Salman pledges reform, murder is unavoidable,” said Soraya Bauwens, deputy director of the London-based advocacy group Reprieve.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the dismemberment of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi.
Crown Prince Mohammed has eased some of Saudi Arabia’s rigid laws, including allowing women to drive and delegating authority to the country’s notorious vice police. According to the US, he allegedly ordered the dismemberment of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi and the killing of hundreds of Yemeni civilians in air attacks.
More than three dozen of the slain detainees, according to some campaigners, were Shiites, who live in the kingdom’s east and have long complained of oppression. The religions of the detainees were not revealed.
Protesters took to the streets of Bahrain, a Shiite-majority country, on Saturday night to protest the mass execution.