The number of executions in Saudi Arabia has almost doubled during the reign of King Salman and his son Mohammed, the de facto leader of this country, according to a report prepared by two human rights organizations, AFP informs, Agerpres reads.

The number of executions in the Gulf monarchy went from an average of 70.8 per year between 2010 and 2014 to 129.5 per year after the current monarch came to power in 2015, according to a report published on Tuesday by the British organization Reprieve and the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR).

In total, the current government in Saudi Arabia has carried out more than 1,000 death sentences, according to these NGOs, which say they verified the official figures through investigations and interviews with lawyers, family members and activists.

The report attests to 147 executions last year, a balance according to the AFP count based on announcements by the Saudi government.

In March last year, Saudi Arabia, one of the countries that has resorted to capital punishment the most, announced the execution of 81 people in a single day for crimes related to terrorism, causing an international uproar.

This ultraconservative monarchy has carried out important reforms in recent years under the impetus of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But these reforms are accompanied by an implacable repression of any political dissent, according to human rights activists.

Agerpres