Saudi Arabia: Man and woman executed for having sex in a mosque in Mecca

Saudi Arabia executed a Bangladeshi man and woman after they were convicted of committing an "abominable act" inside a mosque in Mecca. The Saudi Interior Ministry stated the punishment was carried out following the approval of the verdict and a royal decree. The Bangladeshi consulate in Jeddah claims it was not notified in advance and has approached Riyadh for official confirmation.

Saudi Arabia executed a Bangladeshi man and woman on Wednesday after they were convicted of what the authorities described as an "abominable act" inside a mosque in Mecca. The Saudi Interior Ministry announced that the death sentences were carried out in the Mecca region, following the approval of the verdict and a royal decree for its execution. The two were identified in the ministry's statement as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhter. According to the statement, security forces arrested them, and after an investigation, charges were filed and they were referred to the competent court. The court determined that the charges were proven and sentenced them to death under "tazir"—a discretionary punishment within Islamic law. The Saudi statement does not specify exactly what the two did, merely defining it as an "abominable act." The name of the mosque, the date of the incident, and the date of their arrest were not published. The statement said the incident occurred in one of the mosques in Mecca, without specifying that it was the Grand Mosque. The Bangladeshi consulate in Jeddah told the Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star that it was not informed before the executions were carried out and sent a diplomatic note to the Saudi Foreign Ministry requesting official confirmation of the case. The Saudi Interior Ministry's statement did not address the issue of consular notification.