Saudi Arabia executes man during Muslim holy month of Ramadan

Saudi Arabia has executed a man during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which a rights group said on Monday had not occurred in years.

It said the man put to death, a Saudi national, had been convicted of murder. He stabbed the victim and set him on fire, the report said.

Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam.

ESOHR said the Ramadan case brought to 17 the number of death sentences carried out this year.

Last year also saw the resumption of executions for drug crimes, ending a moratorium that lasted for almost three years.

More than 1,000 death sentences have been carried out since King Salman assumed power in 2015, according to a report published earlier this year by British-based Reprieve and ESOHR.

The kingdom has often carried out death sentences by beheading.