Convicted murderers, rapists, drug traffickers and armed robbers — both locals and foreigners — are often beheaded in Saudi Arabia. One of the last known executions of a Saudi royal was that of a prince who killed his uncle, King Faisal, in 1975. While members of the royal family receive monthly stipends and the most senior princes command great wealth and political power, only a few in the family hold nationally important government posts. RelatedThe execution came as Saudi Arabia is rolling out widespread reforms as it struggles under a prolonged oil-price slump and soaring deficits. They include 47 men convicted of terrorism-related crimes, one of them prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, whose death in January sparked a diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Source: National Post October 19, 2016 11:48 UTC