Saudi Arabia Executes Member of Royal Family for Murder

For the first time in four decades, Saudi Arabia executed a member of the royal family for murder, after he was convicted of shooting another man to death during a brawl. The Saudi sate news service said that Prince Turki bin Saud bin Turki bin Saud al-Kabeer was put to death in the capital Riyadh. The report did not identify how al-Kabeer was put to death, but most death penalties involve beheading in a public square. Some Saudis said it showed the fairness of the Saudi justice system, which follows a strict interpretation of Shariah law and is often criticized by human rights groups as overly harsh and arbitrary. The last execution of a member of the royal family was in 1975, when Prince Faisal bin Musaid was beheaded in Riyadh for assassinating King Feisal.