Saudi Arabia has beheaded two Saudi men convicted of murder in two separate cases, Saudi newspapers said on Tuesday, quoted by Reuters.
The executions, which took place on Monday, brought to at least 39 the number of people put to death in the conservative Muslim kingdom this year.
One Saudi man was beheaded for the stabbing death of a compatriot, while the other national was executed for shooting dead another Saudi man, the newspapers quoted interior ministry statements as saying.
At least 121 people were executed in the country last year. In the previous year, the number stood at 99.
Executions are carried out with a sword in a public square. Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law which prescribes death sentences for murder, rape, drug trafficking and armed robbery.
The executions have been criticized by human rights organizations, which say Saudi Arabia often fails to give the accused fair trials.
But the kingdom rejects the accusations as interference in internal affairs, reiterating that it will not compromise on the Sharia law applied as part of its Islamic identity – Albawaba.com
