Three more beheaded under new Saudi king

A third convict, Latif Khan Nurzada, a Pakistani, was executed for trafficking heroin into the kingdom. He was executed in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, the ministry said in another statement. According to an AFP tally, their executions bring to 16 the number of Saudis and foreigners put to death this year under the kingdom’s strict version of Islamic sharia law.

Four have been executed since King Salman took office last Friday after the death of his predecessor Abdullah. Under Abdullah, the number of executions jumped from 27 in 2010 to around 80 annually, with 87 last year. The oil-rich Gulf Arab state faces constant international criticism over its human rights record, including the use of the death penalty.