RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has executed seven individuals convicted of drug smuggling, according to a statement issued by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Interior.
The executions took place in the southern region of Najran. The convicts included three Ethiopian and four Somali nationals.
The Ministry confirmed that all the cases underwent thorough investigation, and the death sentences were handed down by competent courts. The rulings were later upheld by the Supreme Court and ratified through a royal decree before being carried out.
In its statement, the Ministry of Interior issued a stern warning, reaffirming the Kingdom’s zero-tolerance policy towards drug trafficking. It emphasized that anyone involved in such crimes will face the harshest punishments under Islamic law, including the death penalty.
Saudi Arabia enforces some of the strictest anti-narcotics laws in the world, and executions for drug-related offenses are not uncommon.
