Saudi Beheads Murderer in 110th Execution since January

Saudi Arabia on Monday beheaded one of its citizens convicted of murder, adding to a sharp increase in executions this year.

Mugrib al-Thanyan was executed in Eastern Province after being found guilty of shooting dead another Saudi after a dispute, the ministry of interior said in a statement.

His case brings to 110 the number of beheadings this year in the kingdom, which rights group Amnesty International says is one of the world's most prolific executioners.

The number of Saudis and foreigners put to death this year is up 126 percent from 87 during the whole of 2014, according to AFP tallies.

Under the conservative kingdom's strict Islamic sharia legal code, drug trafficking, rape, murder, armed robbery and apostasy are all punishable by death.

The interior ministry has cited deterrence as a reason for carrying out the punishments.

Rights experts have raised concerns about the fairness of trials in the kingdom.