Saudi Arabia: Wire: Saudi Executed for Drug Smuggling
| SAUDI EXECUTED FOR DRUG SMUGGLINGRIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – A Saudi convicted of drug smuggling was beheaded Monday in northern Saudi Arabia, an Interior Ministry statement said.
Amer al-Roueili was executed in the province of al-Jouf, said the statement. He was convicted of smuggling hashish and other drugs to Saudi Arabia, said the statement. It said al-Roueili was also found guilty of financing drug smugglers. It did not give any other details. The execution, carried out with a sword in a public square, brought the number of people beheaded in the kingdom this year to 25. At least 99 people were executed last year. Saudi Arabia’s interpretation of Islamic law mandates the death penalty for murder, rape, drug trafficking, sodomy or armed robbery. Human rights organizations complain that the accused often are denied access to lawyers and do not receive fair trials. MAP posted-by: Richard Lake |