14 April 2008 :
Four death row prisoners have been executed in Saudi Arabia, the authorities announced.On April 13, two Nigerians convicted of drug trafficking were beheaded by the sword in western Mecca region, the official SPA news agency quoted the Interior Ministry statement as saying. Mohammed Qaddus Suleyman and Idris Abdel Ghani Mohammed were sentenced to death for smuggling cocaine hidden inside their stomachs into the kingdom.
On April 11 authorities beheaded a Saudi man convicted of trafficking in tranquilisers. Abdullah al-Qahtani was executed in Riyadh, according to the statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.
A Saudi found guilty of murder was beheaded on April 10. The ministry, quoted by the state news agency SPA, said Abdullah al-Subai was beheaded in the southern region of Assyr for stabbing to death a fellow Saudi.
On April 12, a Turkish barber accused of swearing at God was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, while his family in Turkey called on authorities to intervene. Sabri Boğday from the southern Hatay province went to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia 11 years ago and opened a barbershop. According to reports, Boğday argued with his neighbour, an Egyptian tailor, and was arrested after the tailor told the police that he had sworn at God.
While Boğday has been in prison for the past 13 months, the Egyptian who made the allegation has disappeared. He was sentenced to death in the last court session and prison authorities told him to call his family for the last time.
The family also fears Boğday might be executed before the appeals court deals with the matter. Boğday's appeal is expected to be heard within 15 days.
(Sources: Khaleej Times, 13/04/2008, Turkish Daily News, 12/04/2008, PR-Inside.com, 11/04/2008, Dawn.com, 10/04/2008)