S Arabia executes 37 citizens for 'terrorism'

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said it executed 37 of its citizens on Tuesday after they were convicted of "terrorism" in the kingdom, which is one of the world's top executioners.

The sentences were carried out in Riyadh, Makkah and Madina, central Qassim province and Eastern Province, home to the country's Shiite minority. The men were executed "for adopting terrorist and extremist thinking and for forming terrorist cells to corrupt and destabilise security", a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency said.

It said that one person was crucified after his execution, a punishment reserved for particularly serious crimes. At least 100 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the year, according to a count based on official data released by SPA.