Three Saudi soldiers were executed Saturday for "
high treason
", announced the Saudi ministry of defense which accuses them of "
collaboration with the enemy
".
They wanted to "
destabilize the kingdom and its military interests,
" the ministry said in a statement reproduced by the official press agency, SPA.
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The three men, who were executed near the border with Yemen, have been identified as Mohammed ben Ahmed, Shaher ben Issa and Hamoud ben Ibrahim, but the "
enemy
" with whom they are accused of collaborating has failed. not been named.
Execution of military personnel is rare in Saudi Arabia, which is known to be very discreet about its armed forces.
"
The fact that the names of the soldiers have been made public means that the Saudis must consider that their alleged misconduct is exceptionally serious and that it therefore deserves exemplary punishment
", commented for AFP, David Des Roches, of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, based in Washington.
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The executions come as Riyadh intensifies its military campaign in neighboring Yemen and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seeks to consolidate his power.