Saudi Executes Pakistani for Drug Trafficking

Saudi Arabia on Thursday executed a Pakistani man convicted of smuggling drugs into the ultra-conservative kingdom, the interior ministry said.

It brought to 128 the number of executions so far this year in Saudi Arabia, compared with 87 for the whole of 2014, according to AFP tallies compiled from interior ministry statements.

Zulfiqar Ali Mohammed was caught while attempting to smuggle heroin found hidden in his stomach, the ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.

Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded, but sometimes firing squads are used.

Amnesty International on Tuesday appealed for a moratorium on executions in Saudi Arabia, criticizing the kingdom's "deeply flawed judicial system".

Under Saudi Arabia's strict legal practices, murder, armed robbery, rape, drug trafficking and apostasy are all punishable by death.

Amnesty says Saudi Arabia is one of the world's most prolific executioners, along with China, Iran, Iraq and the United States.