Saudi Arabia executes 6 over drug trafficking, homicide

Six people convicted of drug trafficking and homicide were executed in Saudi Arabia today, the government said, the highest number of executions in a single day this year.

A Pakistani citizen was executed for drug trafficking and five Saudi nationals for homicide, the interior ministry said.

Today’s executions bring to 44 the number of convicts put to death this year. Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s highest rates of execution, with suspects convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking facing the death penalty.