Saudi Arabia will have executed at least 150 people by the end of 2016, for the second year in a row, according to research by a human rights organisation.

Around 47 of those were tried in the kingdom's “specialised criminial court”, which the UK-based group Reprieve suggested is being used to silence political dissidents.

Of those tried for state security offences including protesting, two were confirmed to be foreign nationals and four were juveniles. Meanwhile, 81 people – including 20 foreign nationals - were executed for comitting murder, and 23 for drug trafficking.

Reprieve has claimed legal norms are being ignored in Saudi courts, such the lack of a lawyer present at hearings and even the use of torture to extract confessions.

On 2 January, 47 civilians were executed on terrorism charges in one day, with the majority beheaded. It was the largest mass execution carried out in Saudi Arabia since 1980.

Reprieve said 150 civilians have been executed in total this year, compared with 158 last year. The 2015 figure reflected a considerable rise in executions, up 71 from the year before.

The majority of those executed this year were arrested on drugs or terrorism offences. Several were young people under the age of 18, Reprieve alleged.

The January executions sparked protests across the Middle East, during which demonstrators attacked the Saudi Embassy in Baghdad and buildings were burned down in Tehran.

In Saudi Arabia, the death penalty can be imposed for a wide range of offences including murder, rape, blasphemy, drug use, adultery and witchcraft. It is one of four countries – the others are North Korea, Somalia and Iran – which still carries out public executions.

"These appalling abuses give the lie to the Prime Minister’s claim that the UK’s engagement with Saudi Arabia promotes ‘reform’," Reprieve director Maya Foa said.

"The Government must urgently use its ever-closer relationship with Saudi Arabia to secure genuine change – this includes the release of juveniles facing the death penalty."

In July, Sara Hashah, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa spokesperson, told The Independent that Saudi Arabia was "out of step" with the rest of the world.

(Statista (Statista)

"In Saudi Arabia, where people are routinely sentenced to death after grossly unfair trials, we have seen a dramatic surge in the number of executions in the past two years which has shown no sign of abating in 2016,” she said.

“This clearly demonstrates that Saudi Arabia’s authorities are increasingly out of step with a global trend of states moving away from the death penalty.

Human rights attacks around the world Show all 10 1 /10 Human rights attacks around the world Human rights attacks around the world China Escalating crackdown against human rights activists including mass arrests of lawyers and a series of sweeping laws in the name of ‘national security’. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Egypt The arrest of thousands, including peaceful critics, in a ruthless crackdown in the name of national security, the prolonged detention of hundreds without charge or trial and the sentencing of hundreds of others to death. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Gambia Torture, enforced disappearances and the criminalisation of LGBTI people; and utter refusal to co-operate with the UN and regional human rights mechanisms on issues including freedom of expression, enforced disappearance and the death penalty. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Hungary Sealing off its borders to thousands of refugees in dire need; and obstructing collective regional attempts to help them. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Israel Maintaining its military blockade of Gaza and therefore collective punishment of the 1.8 million inhabitants there, as well as failing, like Palestine, to comply with a UN call to conduct credible investigations into war crimes committed during the 2014 Gaza conflict. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Kenya Extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and discrimination against refugees in its counter-terrorism operations; and attempts to undermine the International Criminal Court and its ability to pursue justice. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Pakistan The severe human rights failings of its response to the horrific Peshawar school massacre including its relentless use of the death penalty; and its policy on international NGOs giving authorities the power to monitor them and close them down if they are considered to be “against the interests” of the country. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Russia Repressive use of vague national security and anti-extremism legislation and its concerted attempts to silence civil society in the country; its shameful refusal to acknowledge civilian killings in Syria and its callous moves to block Security Council action on Syria. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Saudi Arabia Brutally cracking down on those who dared to advocate reform or criticise the authorities; and committing war crimes in the bombing campaign it has led in Yemen (pictured) while obstructing the establishment of a UN-led inquiry into violations by all sides in the conflict. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Syria Killing thousands of civilians in direct and indiscriminate attacks with barrel bombs and other weaponry and through acts of torture in detention; and enforcing lengthy sieges of civilian areas, blocking international aid from reaching starving civilians. Getty Images

"Saudi Arabia’s authorities must end their reliance on this cruel, inhuman and degrading form of punishment immediately.”

In March, the kingdom’s culture minister delivered a speech to the UN in Geneva denying that the government was guilty of human rights offences.