Saudi Arabia executes more people in 1 day than it did in entire 2021

Saudi Arabia said Saturday it executed 81 people in one day on a variety of terrorism-related offences, exceeding the total number of executions in the kingdom in 2021.

The official Saudi Press Agency said those convicted were linked to "the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, the Huthis and other terrorist organisations", adding they were plotting attacks on vital places and smuggling weapons into the country.

Meanwhile, freed blogger and human rights activist Raif Badawi was imposed with a 10-year travel ban. The blogger has become a symbol of freedom and expression around the world.

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Badawi, now 38, who was arrested and detained in Saudi Arabia in 2012 on charges of "insulting Islam", was released Friday.

An interior ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP on Saturday: "The sentence handed down to Raif was 10 years in prison followed by a travel ban for the same length of time. The court ruling holds up and is final."

"Therefore, he cannot leave the kingdom for another 10 years unless a (royal) pardon is issued," the official said.

At the end of 2014, Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 50 lashes a week for 20 weeks.
His first flogging in the kingdom's Jeddah square shocked the world and was described by the United Nations as
"cruel and inhuman". After the outcry, he was not lashed again.

On Friday, Badawi's wife Ensaf Haidar, who lives in Canada with their three children, told AFP: "Raif called me. He is free."

It was later confirmed by a Saudi security official, but details of Badawi's release were not revealed.

(With inputs from agencies)