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.
The execution took place on March 28 -- five days into the fasting month -- in the Medina region which includes Islam's second holiest city, the official Saudi Press Agency has reported.
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 executed a citizen during Ramadan," said the Berlin-based European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) in a statement.
Citing Saudi interior ministry capital punishment data, the group said "no sentence has been implemented during the holy month" since 2009 in the kingdom, one of the world's most prolific executioners.
Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam.
ESOHR said the Ramadan case brought to 17 the number of death sentences carried out this year.
Saudi Arabia executed 147 people in 2022 -- more than double the 2021 figure of 69, according to AFP tallies.
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.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, said in an interview with The Atlantic magazine that the kingdom "got rid of" the death penalty except for cases of murder or when someone "threatens the lives of many people", according to a transcript published by state media in March 2022.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Trump Assassination Attempt: How Does It Change The US Campaign?
Saudi Teacher Gets 20-Year Jail Term Over Critical Social Media Posts 'Bodies On The Ground': Pilgrims Recount Hajj Heat Horrors Opinion: Opinion | Is The End Of The US-Saudi Petro Deal An Opportunity For India? Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Break 64-Year Royal Tradition In Surprise Move Biden Says Could Drop Election Bid If "Medical Condition" Emerged Russia Says It's Ready To Work With Any US Leader 3 People Die After Drowning In Lake In Telangana: Cops Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.