The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced that three Saudi soldiers were executed today for “high treason”, which accuses them of “cooperating with the enemy.”
The ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency that the three soldiers wanted to “destabilize the kingdom and its military interests.”
The three men executed near the Yemeni border were identified as Muhammad bin Ahmed, Shahir bin Issa and Hamoud bin Ibrahim.
The executions come as Riyadh ramps up its military campaign in neighboring Yemen, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman intends to consolidate his power.
Saudi Arabia has intervened since 2015 in the civil war in Yemen, at the head of a military coalition to support the government against the Yemeni Houthi rebels close to Iran, who controlled a large part of the north of the country and the capital, Sanaa.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia faces an increase in missile and drone attacks on its soil, with the escalation of the conflict between government forces and Yemeni rebels for control of Marib, a strategic oil region in Yemen that the Houthis have been trying to control since February.
The fighting in the last government stronghold in northern Yemen left at least 53 people dead on both sides within 24 hours, according to military officials in the government camp, with the rebels continuing their offensive despite calls for a truce.
In a statement today, the Saudi Ministry of Defense renewed its “confidence in the loyal armed forces who sacrificed their blood to preserve the security and stability of this homeland and its sanctities.”
Meanwhile, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as “MBS”, intends to consolidate his power.
At the age of thirty-five, he is already seen as the de facto ruler of the oil kingdom, holding the posts of deputy prime minister and minister of defense – the deputy minister being his younger brother Khalid – a special advisor to sovereignty, and finally, prime minister. Economic Development Board.
Over the past three years, he has led a relentless crackdown on any opposition or potential competitor in Saudi Arabia, including waves of arrests in religious, intellectual, economic, civil society and even family circles.
In March 2020, King Salman’s brother and nephew, the princes Ahmed and Muhammad bin Nayef, were arrested, according to several sources. Muhammad bin Nayef was removed from the throne in 2017.
The authorities have not publicly commented on his arrest.
The absolute kingdom and the largest Arab economy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long been criticized for being one of the countries in the world that carries out most of the executions, as well as for the judicial system, which many human rights organizations consider opaque.
This year, the Human Rights Commission, a government body, reported a significant drop in executions in 2020. The commission says it recorded 27 executions in 2020, down 85% from the previous year, mainly due to the moratorium on drug executions. Related Crimes.
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