Saudi Arabia set to behead 50 terrorism convicts in one go

Critic says crown prince wants to look ‘strong’ by executing more than 50 people in one go

Saudi Arabia seems all set to carry out the execution of more than 50 people convicted of terrorism offences in the next few days, Independent reported.

According to reports, three of those facing execution were juvenile when they were arrested.

Earlier this week, a newspaper closely associated with the Saudi interior ministry, reported that the ministry has convinced families of the accused and concerned human rights organisations that the executions are imminent.

The authorities plan to carry out the beheadings in several cities across the kingdom after Friday prayers, sources said.



According to AFP tallies, 147 have been sentenced to death this year, against 87 for all of 2014.

It is believed that seven of the condemned men are Shia from the region of Al-Awamiyah in the oil-rich eastern province, including a leading Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr al Nimr. He was arrested in a shootout with security forces in 2012.

Torture accusations

In a letter released on Wednesday, the mothers of five Shia convicts alleged that their sons, including three who were juveniles at the time of their arrest, were subjected to torture while in custody.

The letter reads, “We affirm that our children did not kill or wound anyone. The sentences were based on confessions extracted under torture, trials that barred them from access to defence counsel and judges that displayed bias towards the prosecution.”

Saudi execution toll highest in two decades: Amnesty

Baqer al Nimr, the older brother of Ali al Nimr and a nephew of Sheikh Nimr, claimed that his brother was 17 when he was detained in February 2011. He alleged that his brother’s nose was broken when he met him six months after his arrest.

“I could see his nose was broken and I asked him what happened. He said ‘they punch everybody in here’.” However, Saudi authorities consistently dismiss such claims.

Crown prince wants to use executions to look ‘strong’

Critics claim that the timing of the executions, should they be carried out, has much to do with a power struggle going on between Mohammad bin Nayef, the interior minister and crown prince, and Mohammad bin Salman, Minister of Defence, deputy crown prince and favoured younger son of King Salman.



Saad al Faqih, a Saudi critic, said the crown prince wants to make a statement as Mohammad bin Salman has taken everything. “He wants to be seen as very strong by killing 52 people in one go.”

Faqih believes that the supporters of al Qaeda and Islamic State are included in the list of those facing execution only to claim that there is no sectarian motive to the executions.

The article originally appeared in Independent.