Muhammad Saad al-Beshi ( Arabic: ''محمد سعد البيشي;'' born 1961) has been an executioner for the government of Saudi Arabia since 1998. He has been described as "Saudi Arabia's leading executioner". Beshi claims to have executed ten people in one day. Al-Beshi performs executions by

decapitation Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...

, using a

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

, and occasionally uses a

firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

. Al-Beshi also performs

amputation Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indi ...

s of limbs when required under Saudi Arabia's

sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

law. Al-Beshi is married and is the father of seven children. He has been known to allow his children to help clean his sword.

Notes

1961 births Living people Saudi Arabian people of African descent Saudi Arabian executioners Saudi Arabian Muslims Swordfighters {{SaudiArabia-bio-stub