People in Bahrain march against a Saudi court ruling that upheld the death sentence for two Bahraini nationals. Bahrainis hit the streets of several villages to voice their anger at the Saudi decision. Jafar Sultan and Sadiq Saamer were sentenced for allegedly attempting to explode a Saudi-Bahrani border crossing in 2015. Both defendants reject the allegations as politically motivated. Riyadh is criticized for handing death sentences to convicts without a fair trial. Many of the prisoners executed in the kingdom over the past few years were allegedly forced confession under torture. According to rights groups, Saudi Arabia ramped up its executions in 2021, in comparison with the previous year.