Saudi Arabia has executed two Bangladeshi nationals after a court convicted them of committing what authorities described as an “immoral act” inside a mosque in the holy city of Mecca.
The executions were carried out on Wednesday, October 14, in the Mecca region, according to a statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Interior. The two individuals were identified as Nazerul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, both citizens of Bangladesh.
According to the ministry, security authorities arrested the pair following the incident and launched an investigation. The case was subsequently referred to a competent court, which found them guilty and handed down death sentences.
The ministry said the court imposed the sentences as ta’zir, a form of discretionary punishment under Islamic law, citing the seriousness of the offence and the violation of the sanctity of the mosque and the circumstances in which the act was committed. The verdicts were upheld by the relevant judicial authorities before a royal order authorised their implementation.
Saudi authorities cite violation of mosque’s sanctity
In its statement, the Saudi Ministry of Interior reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining public security, upholding justice and enforcing Islamic law against those found to have violated the sanctity of mosques.
The ministry also warned that those involved in similar offences would face legal consequences under the kingdom’s laws.
However, the official statement did not specify the precise nature of the “immoral act” for which the two individuals were convicted. The details of the alleged conduct have therefore not been independently established in the publicly available reporting.
The case has drawn attention because of the severity of the punishment and the location where the offence was alleged to have taken place. Mecca is Islam’s holiest city and receives millions of Muslim pilgrims and visitors each year.
The executions underline the serious legal consequences Saudi authorities attach to offences they consider violations of the sanctity of religious sites. The sentences followed a judicial process in which the court’s verdicts were upheld and a royal order was issued before the punishments were carried out.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced the executions on October 14, with reports subsequently carried by Saudi and international news outlets.
