France on Wednesday condemned “the execution by Saudi Arabia of 17 people since November 10,” the foreign ministry said in a statement quoted by AFP.

“France recalls its permanent opposition to the death penalty in all places and in all circumstances” and “remains determined to make a firm commitment to the universal abolition of this unjust, inhuman and ineffective punishment,” said spokeswoman Coué de Orsay.

According to AFP, Saudi authorities executed twice as many people in 2022 as in 2021, mostly for crimes related to terrorism and drug trafficking.

On Thursday evening, the official Saudi Press Agency announced the execution of a Jordanian national for illegal trade in amphetamine capsules, bringing the total number of executions this year to 138.

In 2021, 69 people were executed in the kingdom, while the use of the death penalty fell sharply in 2020, when 27 people were executed. In 2019, 187 executions were recorded.

Saudi Arabia’s absolute monarchy since 1992 has had a constitution-like basic law based on Sharia, Islamic law.

Murder, rape, armed robbery, witchcraft, adultery, sodomy, homosexuality and apostasy are punishable by death.