Saudi Arabia Beheads, Crucifies Yemeni Man Charged With Murder

A Yemeni man accused of murder and “a series of attacks and robberies” was beheaded and then crucified in the southern city of Jazan, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, AFP and Arab News reported.

The man, who was identified by the state Saudi Press Agency as “Yemeni Citizen Mohammed Rashad Khairi Hussein,” was convicted of murdering a Pakistani man, whom the Interior Ministry identified as Pashteh Sayed Khan.

Saudi Arabia has so far executed 28 people in 2013.

Saudi Arabia bases its justice system on Sharia, or strict Islamic law. As such, the death penalty is applicable to everything from murder, to adultery, to “false prophecy” and drug use.

Crucifixion after decapitation, as happened in this case, is not the norm, but has previously been ordered. In 2009 the court decreed that a man convicted of being a gang leader should be beheaded and his body to be crucified for three days.

The U.S. State Department says the crime rate is Saudi Arabia has been “steadily increasing” in recent years, but is still “at levels below most major metropolitan areas in the United States.” Exact statistics were not immediately available.