THE oppressive kingdom of Saudi Arabia has some of the most barbaric and bizarre punishments in the world.

Public beheadings, amputations, eye for an eye retribution and crucifixion all form part of the ruthless and medieval justice system.

10 A public execution by beheading in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom executed 37 men in one day in April, 2019 Credit: Rex Features

On Monday, a horrific mass execution was carried out by the savage regime involving 37 men being killed including one being crucified and another having his head impaled on a spike.

Those killed during the beheading bloodbath had all been convicted of "terrorism offences" in the hardline kingdom.

However, one of those beheaded. Abdulkareem al-Hawaj, was arrested while attending an anti-government protest when he was aged just 16.

He was convicted of being a "terrorist" in a trial branded a "farce" by Amnesty International.

This week's executions brings the number of people killed by the ruthless regime since the start of 2019 to around 100, according to official announcements.

Saudi has the third highest rate of executions in the world behind China and Iran, according to Amnesty.

Last year, the kingdom executed 149 people, most of them drug smugglers convicted of non-violent crimes, according to Amnesty's most recent figures.

In 2017, the kingdom year carried out 146 executions while in 2016 the country killed 47 men in one single day in a horrific mass murder.

RUTHLESS REGIME

Crown Prince Salman wants to make the desert kingdom a tech savvy 21st century nation and has introduced liberal reforms.

Yet for all his ambitions, the country still has the trappings of one caught in a altogether different era, particularly when it comes to its justice system.

Saudi Arabia retains the death penalty for a large number of offences including drug trafficking and “sorcery” as well as murder.

The majority of death sentences are carried out in public by beheading, drawing comparisons with the shocking brutality of the Islamic State.

The system is based on Shariah law, which the Saudis say is rooted in Islamic tradition and the Quran.

KILLED FOR 'SORCERY'

While they insist trials are conducted to the strictest standards of fairness, evidence has emerged from the country to suggest the opposite.

Trials are reported to have lasted a day and confessions extracted under torture.

The country has no written penal code and no code of criminal procedure and judicial procedure.

That allows courts wide powers to determine what constitutes a criminal offence and what sentences crimes deserve.

The only means of appeal is directly to the King, who decides whether the condemned lives or dies.

The list of punishments makes for grim reading.

10 The bodies of five Yemeni men beheaded in Saudi Arabia are left hanging after their heads were re-attached Credit: Twitter

10 A man is brutally flogged by uniformed guards in Saudi Arabia Credit: Fred Peer

BEHEADINGS

In the first four months of 2018 alone it has carried out 86 beheadings, half of them for non-violent crimes such as drugs offences.

The surge in executions since last year saw at least 27 people executed in July alone, say Amnesty International.

Beheading remains the most common form of execution and the sentence traditionally carried out in a public square on a Friday after prayers.

Deera Square in the centre of the capital Riyadh is known locally as "Chop Chop Square”.

The work maybe grim but country’s chief executioner appeared to take pride in his work.

After visiting the victim’s family to see if they want to forgive the prisoner, they are then taken for beheading.

"When they get to the execution square, their strength drains away,” the BBC reported Muhammad Saad al-Beshi as saying.

“Then I read the execution order, and at a signal I cut the prisoner's head off.”.

A recent surge in rate of executions led to ads place for an eight executioners on the civil service jobs website.

A downloadable PDF application form for jobs said they fell under the term "religious functionaries" and would be at the lower end of the civil service pay scale.

10 Abdulkareem al-Hawaj was just 16 when he was arrested for attending an anti-government protest. He was beheaded this week

10 Mutjaba al-Sweikat was another victim killed in the 2019 mass execution Credit: Reprieve

CRUCIFIXION

In Saudi Arabia, the practice of “crucifixion” refers to the court-ordered public display of the body after execution, along with the separated head if beheaded.

In one case pictures on social media appearing to show five decapitated bodies hanging from a horizontal pole with their heads wrapped in bags.

The beheading and “crucifixion” took place in front of the University of Jizan where students were taking exams takes place in a public square to act as a deterrent.

PARALYSIS

The ability of courts to decide for themselves sentences that fit the crime has led to sentences of “qisas” or retribution.

The most high profile example was that of Ali al-Khawahir, who was 14 when he stabbed a friend in the backbone, leaving him "completely paralysed" from the waist down.

Ten years later was sentenced to be paralysed from the waist down unless he paid a million Saudi riyals to the victim.

At the time Amnesty International said the sentence was “utterly shocking” even for Saudi Arabia.

However, Mr al-Khawahir was not paralysed after his family agreed to pay his victim the one million royals ($270,000) in compensation.

In such cases, the victim can demand the punishment be carried out, request financial compensation or grant a conditional or unconditional pardon.

STONING

Stoning remains a punishment for adultery for women in Saudi Arabia.

According to one witness, the accused are put into holes and then have rocks tipped on them from a truck.

In 2015 a married 45-year-old woman, originally from Sri Lanka, who was working as a maid in Riyadh, was sentenced to death by stoning.

Her partner, who was single and also from Sri Lanka, was given a punishment of 100 lashes after being found guilty of the same offence.

EYE GOUGING

Abd ul-Latif Noushad, an Indian citizen, was sentenced to have his right eye gouged out in retribution for his role in a brawl in which a Saudi citizen was injured.

He worked at a petrol station and got into an altercation about a jump lead a customer wanted a refund for and in the ensuing struggle struck the other man on the head, hitting his eye.

A court of appeal in Riyadh has reportedly merely asked whether the Saudi man would accept monetary compensation instead, according to Human Rights Watch.

On September 16, 2004, the Saudi newspaper Okaz reported that a court in Tabuk ordered the right eye of Muhammad `Ayid Sulaiman al-Fadili al-Balawi to be gouged out.

The court gave him the option of paying compensation within one year and it was reported he had raised the 1.4 million riyals required.

Another Saudi newspaper, ArabNews, reported on December 6 that a court had recently sentenced an Egyptian man in to having his eye gouged.

He was accused of throwing acid in the face of another man, who subsequently lost his eyesight.

10 A kneeling man is beheaded in Jeddah, next to the headless corpse of another who had just suffered the same fate Credit: Alamy

10 Amputation of limbs is another of the horrific punishments in the country Credit: Alamy

FLOGGING

Those convicted of insulting Islam can also expect to be flogged.

In a case that has brought international condemnation, blogger Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes as well as 10 years behind bars.

Video shows a crowd cheering as the first 50 lashes of his sentence was carried out, an ordeal which his wife Ensaf Haidar, who says nearly killed him.

In 2017, a man was sentenced ten years in prison and 2,000 lashes for expressing his atheism on Twitter.

The 28-year-old reportedly refused to repent, insisting what he wrote reflected his beliefs and that he had the right to express them.

AMPUTATION

Amputation is a punishment for theft, with the person convicted having their right hand removed.

The crime of “highway robbery” punished by cross amputation which involves the removal of the right hand and left foot.

In 2011, six Bedouin tribesmen aged between 22 and 29 were sentenced to "cross amputation" for their part in robbery.

10 Crown Prince Salman has introduced reforms liberalising the desert kingdom Credit: Reuters

10 King Salman, pictured with PM Theresa May, makes the final decision on executions in Saudi Arabia Credit: AFP

10 Saudi executioner Muhammad Saad al-Beshi Credit: Arab News

Saudi blogger shackled in chains sentenced to 1,000 lashes as punishment for 'insulting Islam'

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