UN says Saudi beheadings shocking, abhorrent

The United Nations on Wednesday condemned Saudi Arabia's mass executions as "shocking" and "abhorrent".

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday executed 37 men, convicted of terror like activities. Two bodies were crucified publicly sending warning messages to others.

"I strongly condemn these shocking mass executions across six cities in Saudi Arabia yesterday," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.

"It is particularly abhorrent that at least three of those killed were minors at the time of their sentencing," Al Jazeera quoted the envoy as saying.

The accused were charged with forming terrorist groups, planning terrorist acts, including killing security officers using explosives and weapons.

All the convicts were Saudi nationals.

In her statement, Bachelet noted that the executions were carried out despite repeated warnings from human rights officials and the UN rapporteurs over lack of fair trial and allegations of obtaining confessions through torture.

The UN official further urged Saudi Arabia to review its counterterrorism legislation.

New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that at least 33 of the 37 men put to death were Shia, making it the largest set of executions in the kingdom since January 2016, when 47 people were killed.