Saudi woman executed in Mecca for killing husband with acid

Dubai: Saudi authorities said Sunday they had carried out the execution of a Saudi woman in the western region of Mecca after she was convicted of murdering her husband by pouring acid on him as he slept.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry identified the woman by her initials, H.M.T., and said she had killed her husband, F.D.A., by dousing him with a corrosive substance on several parts of his body, leading to his death.

Investigators charged her with premeditated murder, and she was referred to court. 

The ministry said a verdict was issued confirming her guilt, and the ruling was upheld at every judicial stage. 

The crime, the statement added, was considered “a heinous act, involving the unjust taking of an innocent life,” and the death sentence was ordered “as a deterrent.”

The execution was carried out by Ta’zir, a discretionary form of capital punishment under Islamic law.

The case brings the total number of executions in the kingdom this year to 248, including four women.