Trump Ally Carries Out Double Execution Over ‘Indecent Act’

Evelyn Hockstein / REUTERS One of President Donald Trump’s closest Middle Eastern allies has executed two foreign workers for allegedly violating the sanctity of one of Islam’s holiest cities.

Officials in Dhaka revealed they were kept in the dark before two Bangladeshi workers were put to death in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The two workers, Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, were executed following allegations that they committed adultery inside a mosque in the holy city of Mecca, according to a dispatch sent to the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry by the Labour Welfare Wing of the Bangladeshi mission in Saudi Arabia.

In a statement distributed by the official Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi Interior Ministry defended the decision, citing “the gravity and seriousness of their actions in violating the sanctity of both time and place.” Saudi courts imposed the death penalty under “tazir,” a category of Islamic jurisprudence where sentencing is entirely at the judge’s personal discretion.

The kingdom’s highest court upheld the sentence, and a royal decree authorized the executions.

The Saudi Interior Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing Islamic law and warned that anyone committing comparable violations would face prosecution.

In Dhaka, officials stressed that they remain committed to protecting their citizens working across the Middle East.

Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry official Shama Obaed said the government would consider next steps, including repatriating the bodies, after receiving information from Saudi authorities.

Over three million Bangladeshis currently reside in Saudi Arabia, maintaining significant economic ties between the two countries.

Despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s grand efforts to modernize the kingdom’s image, Saudi Arabia remains one of the world’s most prolific executioners, trailing only China and Iran, with at least 356 executions recorded last year, according to Amnesty International .

The kingdom has already executed more than 170 people this year.

Saudi Arabia’s use of capital punishment has done little to dampen Washington’s embrace of the kingdom.

President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for the crown prince in November 2025, seven years after hosting the Saudi leader during his first administration in 2018.

The relationship remains centered on defense deals, investments, and energy interests—key pillars of Trump’s “America First” agenda.