The UN human rights chief condemned Saudi Arabia’s execution of a record 81 people in a single day and urged the kingdom to stop using the death penalty.
Michelle Bachelet says war crimes may have been committed if people were beheaded following court cases that do not offer proper fair trial guarantees.
Saudi Arabia earlier said it had executed a record 81 people in one day for terrorism-related offences, exceeding the total number killed in the whole of 2021 and sparking criticism from rights activists.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says that among those beheaded, 41 belonged to the Shiite minority, and had taken part in anti-government protests in 2011-2012.