3 Saudis beheaded for murder

Three Saudis were beheaded on Saturday in the western city of Taef after being convicted of killing fellow citizens in two separate incidents, state news agency SPA reported. Mahfoudh bin Ali al-Kenani was beheaded by the sword for stabbing to death Ali Saeed al-Khazmari because of a feud between them, SPA said. Meanwhile, two brothers, Mohammed and Saud al-Jaeed were also executed for shooting dead fellow citizen Hilal bin Sayel al-Harthi, SPA said in another statement. Saturday's executions bring to 37 the number of people beheaded in Saudi Arabia this year, according to an AFP tally based on official and human rights group reports. On June 10, London-based watchdog Amnesty International called on Saudi Arabia to stop applying the death penalty, saying there had been a significant rise in the number of executions in the previous six weeks. It said 15 people were executed in May alone. In 2009, the number of executions reached 67, compared to 102 in 2008. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.