Saudi Arabia has executed a Bangladeshi man and woman after they were convicted of committing indecent acts inside a mosque in the holy city of Mecca, the Interior Ministry announced.<\/p>\n
The ministry identified the two as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, both Bangladeshi nationals, according to a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).<\/p>\n
The statement said security authorities arrested the pair after they committed what it described as immoral acts inside a mosque in Mecca.<\/p>\n
Following an investigation, the two were charged and referred to a competent court, which found them guilty and sentenced them to death under ta’zir, a discretionary punishment under Islamic law.<\/p>\n
The Bangladesh authorities have said that the Saudi counterpart had shared records showing that the two were detained in August 2023 for crimes, including adultery, but there was no mention of their death sentences.
\nThe\u00a0 Saudi ministry said the court imposed the sentences because of the seriousness of the offence and the violation of the sanctity of the mosque and the circumstances in which the acts were committed.<\/p>\n
The verdicts became final after being upheld by the relevant judicial authority, and a royal order was issued authorising their implementation. The executions were carried out on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in the Mecca region.<\/p>\n
Bangladesh has now sent a note verbale, a formal diplomatic message, to the Saudi foreign ministry asking for formal acknowledgement.<\/p>\n
In its statement, the Interior Ministry reaffirmed the Saudi government’s commitment to maintaining security, upholding justice and enforcing Islamic law against those who violate the sanctity of mosques.<\/p>\n
It also warned that anyone committing similar offences would face punishment under the kingdom’s laws<\/p>\n
The Associated Press (AP) reports\u00a0 said , Saudi Arabia executed a Bangladeshi man and woman in the Mecca region on October 14, after a court found them guilty of an indecent act inside a mosque in the holy city. The Saudi Interior Ministry says the court sentenced them to death under ta\u2019zir, a form of punishment in Islamic law that leaves the offence and the sentence to the judge.<\/p>\n
The ministry did not say what the act was, which mosque it took place in, or when the two were arrested. Bangladesh says Saudi Arabia did not tell it beforehand and has asked for details of the case.<\/p>\n
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry named the two as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, both Bangladeshi nationals, according to Gulf News. Other outlets spell the names differently. Several media reports call them a couple, but The Week notes that it is not confirmed whether they were married to each other. The ministry described them as a man and a woman.<\/p>\n
The ministry said security officers arrested them, brought charges after an investigation and sent the case to a court. The court found the charges proven and passed death sentences. It cited the seriousness of the offence, the breach of the mosque\u2019s sanctity and the circumstances in which the acts took place, Gulf News reports. The Associated Press (AP) reports that the ministry also pointed to the sanctity of both time and place.<\/p>\n
Gulf News says the verdicts became final after the relevant judicial authority upheld them, and that a royal order approved the executions. The ministry said the government will enforce Islamic law against anyone who violates the sanctity of mosques, and warned that others who commit similar acts will be punished. Khaleej Times adds that the statement also referred to offences against the honour of others.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia has no codified penal code, MENA Rights Group says. Judges use their reading of Islamic law to decide what is a crime and how to punish it. Human Rights Watch noted in a 2008 report that most criminal cases involve ta\u2019zir offences and that judges are not bound by earlier rulings.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia said in February 2021 that it was drafting a Penal Code for Discretionary Sentences to write down ta\u2019zir crimes. Amnesty International, which studied a leaked draft, said it would not limit the use of the death penalty. The sources checked do not confirm whether the code has come into force.<\/p>\n
The BBC cites Amnesty International as saying Saudi Arabia has executed around 100 people this year, many of them foreigners convicted of drug offences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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