Saudi executes 88th person this year, topping 2014 total

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday carried out its 88th execution so far this year, surpassing the total for all of 2014 despite activists´ concerns that trials are not conducted fairly.

The interior ministry identified the latest to be put to death as Saudi nationals Awad al-Rowaili and Lafi al-Shammary, who were convicted of smuggling amphetamines.

They were executed in the northern region of Jawf, the ministry said in statements carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Another Saudi, Mohammed al-Shihri, was separately put to death in the southwestern region of Asir for murder.

The kingdom executed 87 people in 2014, according to an AFP tally.
Saudi Arabia ranked among the world´s top five executioners in 2014, according to Amnesty.

Under the kingdom´s strict law, drug trafficking, rape, murder, apostasy and armed robbery are all punishable by death.
Executions are carried out in public, mostly by chopping off the condemned person´s head with a sword. (AFP)