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In largest mass execution in recent memory, Saudi Arabia executes 81 convicts in single day

This marked the largest mass execution in one day conducted by the kingdom in its modern history and exceeded the total number of people put to death in the whole of last year, said various reports. The convicted included those who were "found guilty of committing multiple heinous crimes", the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

TN Digital

Updated Mar 12, 2022, 20:32 IST

The convicted included those who 'found guilty of committing multiple heinous crimes', the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. (Representative image)

Photo : IANS

Dubai: Saudi Arabia executed 81 people convicted of a variety of terrorism-related offences, including killings and belonging to militant groups, on Saturday.

This marked the largest mass execution in one day conducted by the kingdom in its modern history and exceeded the total number of people put to death in the whole of last year, reported various news agencies.

The convicted included those who were "found guilty of committing multiple heinous crimes", said the reports citing the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA). They were tried in Saudi courts, with trials overseen by 13 judges over three separate stages for each individual, the SPA said.

“The accused were provided with the right to an attorney and were guaranteed their full rights under Saudi law during the judicial process, which found them guilty of committing multiple heinous crimes that left a large number of civilians and law enforcement officers dead,” it said.

Saudi Arabia has one of the world's highest execution rates. “The kingdom will continue to take a strict and unwavering stance against terrorism and extremist ideologies that threaten the stability of the entire world,” the SPA added.

Of the 81 people convicted on Saturday, 73 were Saudi citizens, seven were Yemeni and one was a Syrian national, as per the report.

The Saturday's announcement surpassed the January 1980 mass execution of those convicted of the seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, which saw 63 people beheaded.

The wealthy Gulf country's last mass execution came in January 2016, when 47 people were executed. It included a prominent opposition Shiite cleric who had rallied demonstrations in the kingdom, reported AP.

The kingdom reportedly beheaded 37 Saudi citizens in 2019 in a mass execution across the country for alleged terrorism-related crimes, the report suggested. Most of them were minority Shiites, it said.

The execution also exceeded executions in all of 2021, which was 69, reported AFP.

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