Saudi Arabia has carried out a double execution that’s drawing fresh attention to its justice system. The kingdom said a Bangladeshi man and woman were hanged last week for committing unspecified “indecent acts” inside a mosque in Mecca, the Times of London reports. Officials did not clarify what the acts were or whether they occurred in the holy city’s Grand Mosque. Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry said they were executed due to “the gravity and seriousness of their actions in violating the sanctity of both time and place,” reports the AP.
Bangladeshi authorities say Saudi Arabia didn’t notify them of the double execution until after it had taken place, the BBC reports. According to Bangladeshi media, one of the pair was accused of adultery in a list of detained Bangladeshi citizens provided to the country’s consulate. The BBC reports that the case has caused public concern in Bangladesh, which has more than 3 million citizens working in Saudi Arabia.
The punishment was “unusually harsh” even for Saudi Arabia, the Times notes. The case adds to scrutiny of the kingdom’s use of capital punishment: rights groups say about 190 people have been executed this year, even as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pushes social and economic reforms.