Saudi executions set 'unprecedented' pace

March 05, 2015 03:35

Saudi Arabia has beheaded dozens of convicts, including foreign drug traffickers, since the start of the year in what Amnesty International calls an unprecedented pace of executions in the kingdom.

Those put to the sword have included five Pakistanis, an Indian, two Jordanians, two Syrians and a Yemeni, with few foreign governments willing to publicly appeal for clemency from the wealthy Gulf state.

Three beheadings in a single day on Tuesday -- one for rape and two for murder -- took the total so far this year to 38, according to an AFP tally.

That is about three times the number over the same period in 2014, but observers disagree about the reasons.

There was also a surge in the latter months of last year. towards the end of King Abdullah's reign. He died on January 23 and was succeeded by King Salman.

"It began before Salman," a diplomatic source said.

"The Saudi authorities want to show everyone they are strong, people can rely on them to keep the security and the safety in the kingdom," said the source, who did not want to be further identified.

The aim is to deter all forms of violence but the policy is linked to the kingdom's fight against the Islamic State group, the source said.

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