Saudi Arabia has executed twice as many individuals in 2022 because it did final yr, based on an AFP tally, highlighting an increase in capital punishment that’s condemned by rights teams.

The newest execution was of a Jordanian nationwide convicted of smuggling amphetamine tablets, the official Saudi Press Agency introduced late Thursday.

The case marked 138 complete executions for the yr, up from 69 final yr, the AFP tally confirmed. There have been 27 dying sentences carried out in 2020 and 187 in 2019.

The milestone comes one week after Saudi Arabia introduced it had executed two Pakistani nationals for smuggling heroin, the primary time the dying penalty was handed down for drug crimes in practically three years.

Amnesty International has condemned the resumption of executions for drug crimes, which flies within the face of a Saudi moratorium on executions for such instances introduced in January 2021.

“The lives of individuals on death row for drug-related crimes and other crimes are at risk,” Amnesty stated in a press release final week. “Regardless of the crimes committed, no one should suffer this cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.”

Read extra: Pakistan needs 34 billion dollars to pay foreign loans. It is likely to default

Ten executions linked to narcotics have been reported prior to now week.

The reviews haven’t offered particulars about how these executions have been carried out, however the rich Gulf kingdom has typically carried out dying sentences by beheading.

Saudi Arabia sparked a world outcry in March when it executed 81 individuals in a single day for terrorism-related offences.

The conservative kingdom will not be the one nation within the area to impose the dying penalty.

Neighbouring Kuwait put seven individuals to dying for homicide on Wednesday, the primary executions there since 2017.

On Thursday, Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the workplace of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated the executions in Kuwait have been “disturbing” and “a deeply regrettable step backwards by the Kuwaiti authorities”.