Saudi Arabia Executes 17 People In 12 Days For Drug Offenses: UN Says 'Deeply Regrettable' And 'Incompatible'

Saudi Arabia executed 17 people in 12 days for drugs and contraband offenses since November 10 after a two-year hiatus, the U.N. said. 

What Happened: With the total number of executions this year in Saudi Arabia rising to 144, the U.N. human rights office spokesperson said this is a record high of total capital punishments in the kingdom in a year.

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Dubbing the executions "deeply regrettable," Elizabeth Throssell said four Syrians, three Pakistanis, three Jordanians, and seven Saudis were among those killed.

"The resumption of executions for drug-related offenses in Saudi Arabia is a deeply regrettable step, all the more so coming just days after a wide majority of States in the U.N. General Assembly called for a moratorium on the death penalty worldwide," Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.

"Imposing the death penalty for drug offenses is incompatible with international norms and standards," it added.

Citing reports, the human rights office said a man from Jordan, Hussein abo al-Kheir, may be at risk of imminent execution and urged the Saudi regime to halt the action.

This came after earlier this year in March, Saudi Arabia executed 81 people – convicted of crimes ranging from killings to belonging to militant groups – in one day, what was known to be its largest mass execution in modern history. 

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