Saudi govt beheads a Chadian convicted of rape
The Associated Press, Riyadh | World | Wed, November 12 2008, 7:57 PM
The official Saudi Press Agency says authorities have beheaded a Chadian convicted of rape.
The agency quoted an Interior Ministry statement saying Ibrahim Mohammed Ali Ibrahim was executed Wednesday in the city of Mecca.
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery can be executed, usually with a sword.
According to an Associated Press count, Wednesday's execution brings to 83 the number of people beheaded this year in the kingdom. Last year, 137 people were beheaded, up from 38 in 2006.
