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December 19, 2016

Saudi Arabia on Track to Execute 150 People This Year
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Saudi Arabia over the
weekend, where he met with King Salman and top Saudi officials. At a
news conference, Kerry and the Saudi foreign minister sought to downplay
recent reports, based on comments from unnamed U.S. officials, that the
U.S. was halting some weapons sales to Saudi Arabia over concern about
the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen. The visit came as a new report
by the human rights group Reprieve revealed Saudi Arabia is on track to
execute at least 150 people this year and that the kingdom is
increasingly using secret courts to sentence drug offenders and
political prisoners to death.


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