Pakistani man beheaded for drug smuggling in Saudi Arabia

Aug 20, 2002

 RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - A Pakistani man convicted of drug smuggling was beheaded Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said.

Abdel Rahman Khan was found guilty of smuggling an undisclosed amount of heroin into the kingdom and was beheaded in the capital Riyadh, the ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

 His execution raised to 32 the number of people beheaded this year in the conservative kingdom. At least 81 were beheaded last year.

 Saudi Arabia is home to Islam's holiest shrines and follows a strict interpretation of Islam. It imposes the death penalty for murder, rape, drug trafficking and armed robbery. Minor crimes, such as pick-pocketing, are punished by hand amputation.

 Executions are carried out publicly by a sword to serve as a deterrent.