RIYADH, March 12  - Saudi Arabia's King Salman has declared a state of emergency. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia's interior ministry announced the death of 81 individuals, including seven Yemenis and one Syrian, in the country's largest execution in decades.


This figure far outnumbers the 67 executions announced for the entire year of 2021 and the 27 in 2020.


According to the ministry, the charges varied from joining terrorist groups to harbouring "deviant ideas."


"The individuals, numbering 81 in all, were convicted of a variety of crimes, including the murder of innocent men, women, and children," according to the statement.



"These people also swore loyalty to international terrorist organisations such as the Islamic State (ISIS), al-Qaeda, and the Houthis," he continued.


The government did not say how the killings were carried out.


According to the announcement, the individuals included 37 Saudi nationals convicted in a case involving the attempted murder of security officials as well as the targeting of police stations and motorcades.


The mass executions may attract attention to Saudi Arabia's human rights record at a time when the world is concerned about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.


Human rights organisations have accused Saudi Arabia of implementing restrictive rules on political and religious speech, as well as criticising its use of the death sentence, even for individuals imprisoned while juveniles. Learn more here.


"There are prisoners of conscience on Saudi death row, others arrested as children or accused with non-violent offences," Soraya Bauwens, deputy head of the anti-death penalty NGO Reprieve, said in a statement.


"We're scared about everyone of them."after this heinous display of impunity," she added.


Saudi Arabia dismisses charges of human rights violations and claims that laws defend its national security.


During the judicial procedure, the defendants were granted the right to counsel and were assured their full rights under Saudi law, according to the state news agency SPA.


According to official media, the monarchy killed 63 individuals in a single day in 1980, a year after Islamists took possession of the Mecca mosque.


In 2016, 47 individuals were killed on the same day, including famous Shiite preacher Nimr al-Nimr.