Saudis execute soldiers branded traitors

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed three soldiers accused of committing “high treason,” without elaborating on which enemy the kingdom believed the men aided.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency identified the men as soldiers working in the Defense Ministry.

It did not elaborate on how the men aided an enemy. Saudi Arabia is fighting Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, and the kingdom also views Iran as a regional rival.

The kingdom said the three men were convicted in court and a later royal order served as a death warrant.

Saudi Arabia carried out the world’s third-most executions in 2019, according to Amnesty International, behind China and Iran.