Saudi prisoner 'executed and crucified'

A Saudi prisoner has been executed and crucified, according to a statement by the country's state media.

The man was one of 37 people executed on Tuesday on charges of terrorism.

The statement added that the men were charged with "adopting terrorist extremist ideology, forming terrorist cells" and harming the "peace and security of society".

One of the men executed was aged just 16 at the time of his arrest, according to Amnesty International.

Executions are usually carried out by beheading. Crucifixion following an execution is reserved for crimes seen by the authorities as even more serious.

In Tuesday's executions, those accused had allegedly attacked security headquarters, killing a number of officers, the Saudi Press Agency statement said.

The punishments were carried out in several locations including the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Mecca and Medina.

Among those executed, at least 14 were convicted of violent offences relating to their participation in anti-government demonstrations, Amnesty reports.

In 2018, a man was executed and crucified after he was accused of stabbing a woman to death. He was also accused of attempted murder of another man along with attempting to rape a woman, Bloomberg reported.

The Saudi government does not release official statistics on the number of executions it carries out, but state media does report frequently on executions.

According to Amnesty, at least 104 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia so far this year. In 2018, the Gulf state carried out 149 executions.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia claimed it foiled an attack that targeted a security bureau in al-Zulfi, north of Riyadh.

The four attackers were killed, according to the State Security Presidency's official spokesman.