Saudi authorities executed five Yemeni citizens who had been sentenced to death for the murder of a fellow countryman, bringing to 12 the number of executions carried out in the country in two days.

The five men were executed on Wednesday in Ashir, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, a day after seven other people were executed for “terrorism”-related crimes.

“Hassan Fatini, Ibrahim Ali, Abdullah Darwish, Abdullah Mazari and Hammoud Sui participated in the killing of Ahmed al-Aradi” by hitting him on the head with an object before handcuffing him and leaving him to die, the Saudi ministry said. of the Interior in a statement issued last night. In it he clarified that all the men were Yemeni citizens.

Saudi Arabia has executed 34 people since the beginning of the year, while 170 people were executed in the country during 2023, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

The Gulf monarchy is among the countries that use the death penalty the most in the world.

For Saudi authorities, these executions, usually by beheading, “affirm the kingdom’s desire to guarantee security, ensure justice and implement God’s wishes.”