'Surge in unfair' Saudi beheading

Riyadh's Justice Square witnesses public beheadings

A human rights group says executions are surging in Saudi Arabia, and those most likely to face death by the sword are migrant workers and poor Saudis.

Amnesty International says these groups are executed disproportionately and indiscriminately because they are unable to use the "blood money" system.

Foreigners and some nationals lack family and other ties that save rich or well-connected citizens, Amnesty says.

The human rights group reiterated its demand for a moratorium on executions.

Amnesty's report - Affront to justice: Death penalty in Saudi Arabia - says there has been a sharp increase in executions in the last two years in the conservative Muslim kingdom.

There were 158 recorded executions in 2007 and the figure between January and August 2008 stood at 71.

The state does not provide official statistics but Amnesty said it had recorded at least 1,695 executions between 1985 and May 2008.

Of these, 830 were foreign nationals - a highly disproportionate figure since foreigners make up about one-quarter of the country's population.

In some cases, execution is followed by crucifixion, Amnesty says in its report.

Saudi officials were not immediately available to comment. They routinely defend beheadings as a quick and clean form of execution sanctioned by the Islamic faith.

Pardons granted

Amnesty's report says capital trials are often held secretly and non-Arabic speaking foreign nationals are unable to understand proceedings because they are routinely denied access to a lawyer.

In some cases, Amnesty says, they have no idea they have even been convicted.

Six Somalis beheaded this year were only told they were to be killed on the morning of their execution.

Amnesty also alleges that confessions are extracted through torture, ranging from cigarette burns, to electric shocks, nail-pulling, beatings and threats to family members.

After conviction, the legal system allows victim's families to forgive murderers, often after the payment of diya, or "blood money".

While pardons are sometimes granted, Saudi nationals are eight times more likely to escape execution than foreigners through this system.

Correspondents say Saudi nationals who are executed often come from remote tribal areas.