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Capital punishment
Issues
Debate · Religion and capital punishment · Wrongful execution · Participation of medical professionals in American executions
By country or region
Australia · Brazil · Bulgaria  · Canada · PR China · Cook Islands · Ecuador  · Egypt · France · Germany · India · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Italy · Japan · Malaysia · Mexico · New Zealand · North Korea · Pakistan · Philippines · Poland · Romania  · Russia · Singapore · Saudi Arabia  · South Korea · Suriname  · Taiwan (ROC) · Tonga · Turkey · United Kingdom · United States
Methods
Decapitation · Electrocution · Firing squad · Gas chamber · Hanging · Lethal injection · Shooting · Stoning · Torture · Nitrogen asphyxiation (proposed method)
Other related topics
Crime · Penology
v • d • e

Saudi Arabia is one of the leading countries with use of the capital punishment and number of executions worldwide.

[edit] Methods

Currently Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries in the world which still uses beheading (with a sword) as an official method of execution. Saudi law also allows executions by stoning and firing squad, though execution by firing squad is very rare and is usually carried out in private. Beheadings are preceded by the condemned being tapped of most of their blood and ingesting fairly large amounts of various drugs in order to reduce pain in case of a botched execution, as well as minimize prisoner movement and excessive flow of gore once the beheading is carried out.

Almost all executions are carried out in public (see Deera Square). There have been some examples of decapitated bodies also being crucified.

[edit] Crimes

Saudi law allows the death penalty for a number of crimes. For example:

• Murder
• Adultery
• Rape
• Sexual misconduct
• Apostasy
• Blasphemy
• Homosexuality
• Drug-related crime
• Sedition
• Prostitution
• Witchcraft
• Idolatry

v • d • e Capital punishment in Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan · Armenia1 · Azerbaijan1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Burma2 · Cambodia · People's Republic of China · Cyprus1 · East Timor3 · Egypt4 · Georgia4 · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan4 · North Korea · South Korea · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia4 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Republic of China5 · Thailand · Turkey4 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen Dependencies, autonomies, other territories Aceh · Adjara1 · Abkhazia1 · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Altai · British Indian Ocean Territory · Buryatia · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Guangxi · Hong Kong · Inner Mongolia · Iraqi Kurdistan · Jakarta · Khakassia · Macau · Nagorno-Karabakh · Nakhchivan · Ningxia · Northern Cyprus · Palestine · Papua · Sakha · South Ossetia1 · Tibet · Tuva · West Papua · Xinjiang · Yogyakarta Italics indicates an unrecognised or partially recognised country.  1 Sometimes included in Europe, depending on the border definitions.  2 Officially known as Myanmar.  3 Sometimes included in Oceania, and also known as Timor-Leste.  4 Transcontinental country.  5 Commonly known as Taiwan.