Saudi man executed over terrorism charges

A Saudi man was executed in Dammam on Monday on charges of terrorism and weapons smuggling, the interior ministry said.

The man was found guilty of belonging to a terrorist cell and "targeting security personnel by shooting at them", it said in a statement.

He was also charged "with smuggling weapons in and out of the country and of being a member of a terrorist cell with the aim of destabilising national security", the ministry said.

Last month, Amnesty International said at least 40 people were executed between January and July in Saudi Arabia, more than for the whole of 2020.

Saudi Arabia put 184 people to death in 2019, according to Amnesty, which said it was the highest number recorded in a single year in the country.

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission said it documented 27 executions in 2020, a decrease of 85 percent over the previous year due in part to a moratorium on the death penalty for drug offences.

Last year, the HRC also announced that Saudi Arabia was abolishing court-ordered floggings, in a reform move welcomed by campaigners.

Activists are, however, sceptical that the reforms will extend to the release of political prisoners, a pause on a sweeping crackdown on dissent or an end to executions.