Saudi Arabia executes seven men for armed robbery

Seven men have been executed in Saudi Arabia, officials say, despite appeals by UN experts and human rights groups.


Witnesses said they were shot by a firing squad in the southern city of Abha - not beheaded as is customary.

The men were sentenced to death in 2009 after being found guilty of organising a criminal group, armed robbery and breaking into jewellery shops.


On Tuesday, a group of UN independent experts urged the Saudi authorities not to proceed with the executions.

They expressed concern at allegations that the charges against Sarhan al-Mashaikh, Saeed al-Zahrani, Ali al-Shahri, Nasser al-Qahtani, Saeed al-Shahrani, Abdul Aziz al-Amri and Ali al-Qahtani were fabricated and that they were convicted following unfair trials.

"In countries that have not abolished the death penalty, capital punishment may be imposed only following a trial that complied with fair trial and due process safeguards," said Christof Heyns, the special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.