C'est la vie, French Pres. Hollande gave France's most prestigious award to Saudi Prince and heir to throne on 3/4/16 as Islamic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia carried out 70th execution of 2016. Usual method is beheading by sword-AFP, UK Independent

3/6/16, "Saudi executes 70th convict this year," AFP, Riyadh

"Saudi Arabia executed a citizen convicted of murder today, bringing to 70 the number of people it has put to death this year.

Alaa al-Zahrani was found guilty of killing fellow Saudi Abdullah al-Sumairi with a rock to the head, the interior ministry said.

He was put to death in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, said a ministry statement carried by the official SPA news agency.

The 70 executions so far this year include 47 death sentences for "terrorism" carried out in a single day on January 2.

Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia executed 153 people, most of them for drug trafficking or murder, according to an AFP count.

Amnesty International says the number of executions in Saudi Arabia last year was the highest for two decades.

However, the tally was far behind those of China and Iran.

The kingdom has a strict Islamic legal code under which murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy are all punishable by death."
 
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On 3/4/16, France bestowed most prestigious award on Saudi Prince and heir:

3/7/16, "Executions in Saudi Arabia reach ‘frightening’ rate as 70th prisoner in 2016 is killed," UK Independent, Ashley Cowburn

"Despite condemning the executions earlier this year as “deeply deplorable” President François Hollande awarded his nation’s most prestigious award to the heir to the Saudi throne, Prince Mohammed bin Naif on Friday.

The Crown Prince’s visit to the Elysee Palace actually took place on Friday 4 March, the same day as Mr Hollande held talks with Angela Merkel about how to cope with the refugee crisis. But while Ms Merkel’s trip featured in a number of videos and photos posted online by the Elysee social media team, any reference or evidence of the Saudi delegation was conspicuously absent." (end of article)





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