Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Saudi Arabia Has Already Topped Last Year’s Total Number of Executions

"The number of executions conducted by Saudi Arabia in the first five months of 2015 has already exceeded the total number of people executed in the Middle Eastern country last year.

The latest beheadings of convicted drug smugglers Awad al-Rowaili and Lafi al-Shammary were carried out Tuesday amid concerns from human rights activists about the country's soaring rate of executions for non-violent offenses.

Murder and drug-related crimes account for a majority of Saudi Arabia's executions.

The two men — both Saudi nationals — were put to death in the northern region of Jawf, Saudi Arabia's interior ministry said in a statement, according to the official Saudi Press Agency."