Syrian beheaded in Saudi execution surge

RIYADH: A Syrian on Wednesday became the latest person to be beheaded in Saudi Arabia, where executions have surged this year.
The killing of Firas Mohammed al-Kor brought to 49 the number of death sentences carried out in 2015, compared with 87 for all of last year, according to AFP tallies.
He was put to the sword in the northwestern region of Jawf after being convicted of smuggling amphetamines, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
Reasons for the surge are unclear.
Human rights group Amnesty International says Saudi Arabia has regularly been among the world's top five executioners.
Around half of the death sentences carried out this year have been for drug-related offences, London-based Amnesty said earlier his month, charging that this contradicts Saudi claims that the punishment is imposed for only the most serious crimes.
The Saudi government says it "is committed to fighting drugs of all kinds due to the physical and social harm they cause", while cabinet affirmed on Monday that the kingdom's legal system ensures "justice for all".
Human rights groups have expressed concern about the dangers of the innocent being sentenced to death.
The Gulf state has carried out around 80 executions annually since 2011, under its version of Islamic sharia law.
In comparison, Iran has executed more than 1,000 people since January last year, the UN special rapporteur on Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, said on Monday. – AFP