Saudi Arabia carries out mass execution of 81 inmates, biggest in modern history
Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed 81 people convicted of crimes ranging from killings to belonging to militant and terrorist groups -- the largest known mass execution carried out in the kingdom in its modern history.
The number of executed surpassed even the toll of a January 1980 mass execution for the 63 militants convicted of seizing the Grand Mosque in Mecca in 1979, the worst-ever militant attack to target the kingdom and Islam's holiest pilgrimage site.
It was unclear why the kingdom chose Saturday for the executions, though they came as much of the world's attention remained focused on Russia's war on Ukraine.
The number of death penalty cases being carried out in Saudi Arabia had dropped during the coronavirus pandemic. However, the kingdom continued to behead convicts under King Salman and his assertive son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency announced Saturday's executions, saying they included those "convicted of various crimes, including the murdering of innocent men, women and children".
The kingdom also said some of those executed were members of al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and also backers of Yemen's Houthi rebels.
A Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Iran-backed Houthis since 2015 in neighbouring Yemen.
Those executed included 73 Saudis, seven Yemenis and one Syrian. The report did not say where the executions took place.
"The accused were provided with the right to an attorney and were guaranteed their full rights under Saudi law during the judicial process, which found them guilty of committing multiple heinous crimes," the Saudi Press Agency said.
"The kingdom will continue to take a strict and unwavering stance against terrorism and extremist ideologies that
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