Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, beheaded 37 Saudi citizens for terrorism-related crimes and publicly pinned two bodies to a pole for several hours as a warning to others, the Interior Ministry said.
Those executed hailed from Riyadh, Mecca, Medina, Asir, and Shiite Muslim populated areas of the Eastern Province and Qassim.
The mass execution which was ratified by a royal decree came a day after the Islamic State group said it was behind an attack on Sunday on a Saudi security building in the town of Zulfi in which all four gunmen were killed and three security officers were wounded.
HINDU reporter said though public pinning of the beheaded to a pole was not frequently used by the kingdom sparked controversy for its grisly display, the government defended such executions as a powerful tool for deterrence.
The Interior Ministry statement said “Those executed had adopted extremist ideologies and formed terrorist cells with the aim of spreading chaos and provoking sectarian strife.”
“The individuals had been found guilty according to the law and ordered executed by the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh, which specializes in terrorism trials, and the country’s high court.”
The individuals were found guilty of attacking security installations with explosives, killing a number of security officers and cooperating with enemy organizations against the interests of the country, the Interior Ministry said.
