Saudi Arabia Executes 2 Bangladeshis Over Alleged Mosque Offences

Saudi Arabia executed Bangladeshi nationals Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar on October 14 after they were convicted of alleged indecent acts in a mosque in Mecca, according to the Saudi Interior Ministry. Bangladesh says it received no advance notice and is seeking detailed information from Saudi authorities. The ministry said the death sentences had been upheld and a royal decree authorized the executions. Its public statement did not describe the acts for which the two were convicted or provide details of the proceedings. Reports that the alleged conduct involved kissing have circulated, but the available official account does not confirm that description. Bangladesh foreign ministry official Shama Obaed Islam said Dhaka had not been informed before the executions and had requested details from Saudi Arabia. Officials have also sought formal confirmation and information about the circumstances of the cases. Bangladesh’s communications with Saudi Arabia have not established publicly when its consular mission learned of the arrests or sentences. A September list of imprisoned Bangladeshis received by the country’s consulate in Jeddah reportedly included both names,...