Saudi Arabia Executes Gay Lovers for Killing Pakistani
13 March 2005
RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia executed two men on Sunday who beat to death a Pakistani to stop him exposing their 'shameful' homosexual relationship, the Interior Ministry said.
It said Ahmed al-Enezi and Shahir al-Roubli, both Saudis, ran over Malik Khan in their car, beat him on the head with stones and set fire to his corpse 'fearing they would be exposed after the victim witnessed them in a shameful situation.'
Homosexuality is a criminal offence in Saudi Arabia, a deeply conservative Muslim kingdom which implements a strict version of Sharia Islamic law. Convicted murderers, rapists and drug traffickers are usually executed in public.
The ministry said the two men were executed in the northern town of Arar, close to the border with Iraq.
Saudi Arabia has put to death at least 21 people so far this year. At least 35 people were executed last year and 53 in 2003.
DEATH PENALTY FACTS
As of January 1, 2005:
• There have been 944 executions in the U.S. since the use of the death penalty was resumed in 1977.
• There are over 3,400 prisoners on "death row" in the U.S.
• Thirty-eight U.S. states provide for the death penalty in law; the death penalty is also provided under US federal military and civilian law.
Note: There were 152 executions in Texas while George W. Bush was governor. Texas continues to lead the U.S. in the number of executions by state.
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