Saudi Arabia�s mass execution of 47 people on Saturday sparked an international outcry. According to a leaked memo obtained by The Independent, Riyadh was fully aware of this possibility, ordering security services to cancel holiday plans to be on full alert.

The Saudi government�s decision to�execute 47 people in�a single day has drawn considerable criticism, particularly given that one of�those individuals was Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric. In addition to�causing a diplomatic crisis with�Iran, the incident led to�mass protests across�the world.

According to�leaked letter obtained by�The Independent, the Saudi government was fully aware of�the repercussions of�its actions, but�followed through�with the executions anyway. The letter, issued by�the head of�the government�s security forces, was sent to�regional chiefs in�the areas where the executions took place, and was marked "very urgent."

It orders employees to�cancel holiday plans and exercise "maximum precaution."

The document was obtained by�human rights group Reprieve, who says that the letter proves the political nature behind�the deaths.
"This letter shows the level of�preparation the Saudi authorities went to�ahead of�Saturday, having predicted the outrage that would follow their politically-motivated executions of�protesters," Maya Foa, head of�the death penalty team at�Reprieve, told The Independent.


"If the Saudi government really wants to�prove itself on�the international stage, it must stop torturing and executing protestors, and commit to�fair, transparent trials."

Reprieve isn�t the first to�suggest that Saturday�s executions were politically motivated. A new analysis from�Eurasia Group attributes the Saudi government�s actions to�its own waning influence.

"Saudi Arabia is in�serious trouble, and they know it," Ian Bremmer, the president of�Eurasia Group, told Business Insider.

The report states that "The Saudi Kingdom faces a growing risk of�destabilizing discord within�the royal family this year, and its increasingly isolated status will lead it to�act more aggressively across�the Middle East this year.

"More generally, expect an isolated and domestically weaker kingdom to�lash out�in new ways."

Saudi Arabia has come under�fire for�its increased reliance on�capital punishment. In 2015, the kingdom killed over�150 people. Sentences are often handed down�without fair trials, and the death penalty can be given for�nonviolent crimes including adultery, apostasy, and blasphemy.

By Sputnik