Article content

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A Saudi newspaper says a ministerial committee is looking into formally dropping public beheadings as a method of execution in the oil-rich kingdom because it can’t find enough swordsmen.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where a death sentence results in beheading in a public square.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Lack of swordsmen leads Saudi Arabia to consider dropping public beheadings as method of execution Back to video

A government committee argues that a change to execution by firing squad would be fine under the laws of Islam, the Saudi daily newspaper al-Youm reports.

“This solution seems practical, especially in light of shortages in official swordsmen or their belated arrival to execution yards in some incidents,” the committee said in a statement.

There have been calls in the kingdom for replacing public beheadings with lethal injections carried out in prisons.

There was an international outcry earlier this year when a Sri Lankan maid, Rizana Nafeek, was publicly beheaded after a child died in her care. She said the child choked, while the parents said she strangled the four-month-old baby.

The kingdom executes anyone convicted of murder, armed robbery, rape and trafficking in drugs.

It has executed 15 people so far this year, 76 last year and 79 in 2011.