The UN human rights office yesterday expressed distress at Saudi Arabia's execution of ten men, including eight Bangladeshis, and urged the kingdom to place a moratorium on the death penalty.
"We are deeply distressed at the public execution in Saudi Arabia last Friday of ten men, eight of whom were foreign migrant workers," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
So far this year, 20 foreign workers have reportedly been executed in Saudi Arabia, he noted.
In this particular case, the defendants had access to lawyers and the Bangladeshi embassy was involved in the trial, said Colville.