News - Middle East: The rate of executions in Saudi Arabia since King Salman and his son Mohammed bin Salman came to power in 2015 has almost doubled annually, according to a new report, highlighting flagrant human rights violations in the Arab country.

According to a new report by Reprieve and the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR), published on Tuesday, at least 1,243 people were executed between 2010 and 2021, and the figure stood at 147 last year.

The report revealed that the six bloodiest years of executions in Saudi Arabia’s recent history (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022) have all occurred under the leadership of Mohammed bin Salman as the country’s crown prince and de facto ruler and his father.

It highlighted that there was an average of 129.5 executions per year within the time span of 2015-2022, marking an increase of 82%.

Reprieve’s 2023 report, titled "Bloodshed and Lies: Mohammed bin Salman’s Kingdom of Executions," shows that between 2010 and 2021, those found guilty of murder, drugs trafficking, sexual offences, formation of or membership with an organized criminal group, abduction or false imprisonment accompanied by assault, burglary or robbery, sedition, treason and other state security offences as well as witchcraft and sorcery were sentenced to death penalty.

It further notes that 2022 was one of the bloodiest years on record in Saudi Arabia’s recent history as 81 people were put to death in one day on March 12.