In the first six months of 2015, Saudi Arabia beheaded, on average, one prisoner every other
day.
The country has one of the highest execution rates in the world, and is the only one still
regularly performing public beheadings.
This practice has been widely condemned, and is considered a severe human rights violation.
So, why is Saudi Arabia executing so many people?
Well, Saudi Arabia is an Islamic theocracy, which means that they follow Islamic law,
known as Shariah.
Within Shariah law, one can be put to death for any number of lethal or nonlethal crimes,
including religious offenses like blasphemy or witchcraft.
While sometimes executions are done by firing squad or stoning, beheadings are much more
common, and occasionally the beheaded body is crucified.
In 2009, a gang leader was beheaded and publicly crucified for three days after robbing a jewelry
store.
Although most executions are public, they are no announcements in advance, and spectators
are not allowed to photograph or videotape them.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia increased the number of executions dramatically.
Some have attributed this to the instability in the region, to show that they are not afraid
of doling out capital punishment.
According to Sharia law found in the Quran, there are three major criminal categories
for which capital punishment can be imposed.
The first is based on specific crimes and punishments found in the Quran, called Hudud,
and considered crimes against God.
This includes adultery, converting to another religion, and homosexual behavior.
Murder is not included in this category, and is instead seen as a personal dispute.
Crimes like these fall into the Qisas category, meaning retaliatory, “an eye for an eye”
type crimes.
Any bodily injury or attack is included in this category, and since the crime is considered
a dispute, in Saudi Arabia it is possible for a murderer to pay “blood money” to
a victim’s family to avoid prosecution.
In 2013, a man who stabbed another man in the back was sentenced by a court to have
his spinal cord severed unless he paid more than a quarter of a million dollars to his
victim.
The final category is called Tazir, and covers pretty much all other crimes.
The punishment is left to the judgment of the court, although it may still be based
in scripture.
Everything from rape to witchcraft to drug smuggling falls into Tazir, and those found
guilty can be executed for fairly benign offenses.
The last execution for sorcery occurred as recently as 2014.
Saudi Arabia doesn’t just execute its own citizens, but also kills a huge number of
foreigners from developing countries.
Often they are convicted of drug smuggling and are unable to defend themselves.
However, it is reported that no westerners have EVER been executed in Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has even been compared to the brutal terrorist group, ISIS.
However, Saudi officials have defended the executions, saying that they are the result
of due process.
Still, many point out that the ideology and religious interpretation of criminal activity
is relatively identical between the two.
Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia’s massive level of global influence makes it difficult for
the international community to force them to stop.
To learn more about how Saudi Arabia got so powerful and influential, check out this video.
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