Saudi Arabia executes 2 Bahraini men over militant activities; Amnesty called trial ‘grossly unfair’

By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia says it executed two Bahraini men after being convicted of belonging to a militant group wanting to destabilize the two Mideast kingdoms. Amnesty International has criticized their trial as being “grossly unfair.” The Saudi Interior Ministry’s announcement Monday, carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, identified the men as Jaafar Sultan and Sadeq Thamer. Amnesty said the men were detained in May 2015 and held incommunicado for three-and-a-half months. Saudi Arabia has said they smuggled explosives into the kingdom and planned to spread chaos. Amnesty, however, criticized their October 2021 trial and conviction as they had no access to lawyers in interrogations and said they had been tortured.