While Saudi Arabia has made some positive changes regarding its laws, there's still plenty of controversy surrounding the Saudi royal family's harsh enforcement. As noted by Amnesty International UK, there are still many ways the House of Saud violates human rights, and these acts include severe punishments for those considered to be rule breakers. For example, back in 2015, a blogger named Raif Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes delivered via public flogging, which were to be given in 50 lashes per week.
Of course, Badawi's case is far from unusual, and when it comes to punishment, there are even worse ways that someone can be reprimanded. For instance, in 2011, six men were sentenced to cross amputation, a disturbing form of punishment where the opposite hand and foot are removed. Similarly, execution in Saudi Arabia is also on the rise. As reported by Human Rights Watch, on January 2, 2016, authorities carried out the largest mass execution since 1980, putting 47 men to death in one day. Furthermore, the aforementioned problem with detaining human rights activists is still an ongoing issue. Those seemingly exercising free speech have been threatened or even imprisoned. The same goes for protesting, which is considered an unlawful act that can be punished with arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment.
