CAMPAIGNERS have demanded the cancellation of Boris Johnson’s visit to Saudi Arabia this week following the latest in a long line of human rights abuses by the oil-rich kingdom.

The Prime Minister is expected to travel to the Saudi capital Riyadh this week for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of Western efforts to end dependence on Russian oil and gas as the war in Ukraine piles more pressure on energy costs.

The Crown Prince is alleged to have ordered the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and, on Saturday, his regime beheaded 81 people, including seven Yemenis. This was the country’s largest mass execution in recent memory.

The Saudis have also been leading a military coalition waging a brutal war in Yemen over the last seven years, using arms supplied by Britain. Unicef estimates that the death toll from the conflict has reached 377,000.

Peace and Justice Project founder Jeremy Corbyn said that the “Saudi regime has carried out its largest mass execution. Now Boris Johnson plans to travel to Saudi Arabia to strike an oil deal.”

The former Labour leader, who represents Islington North in the Commons, demanded that Mr Johnson “cancel his visit and end the UK arms deal with a government that has taken so many lives at home and in Yemen.”

Labour MP Zarah Sultana also called on the PM to cancel his visit and said: “If the government really cared about human rights, it would end its cosy relationship with the Saudis.”

Amnesty International UK foreign affairs adviser Polly Truscott said: “The shocking news about mass executions in Saudi Arabia makes it more important than ever that the Prime Minister challenges the Saudi authorities over their absolutely appalling human rights record.

“Understandably, much of the world’s attention is currently focused on Ukraine, but Saudi Arabia mustn’t be allowed a free pass over the civilians being killed by Saudi coalition air strikes in Yemen.

“The key point is that Saudi oil shouldn’t be allowed to buy the world’s silence over Saudi Arabia’s terrible human rights record.”

Health Secretary Sajid Javed said that despite being “very frank” about human rights concerns, Britain had to speak to the oil superpower “at a time of a major global energy crisis,” adding that the kingdom was an “important” economic partner.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman claimed today that the government did not “shy away” from raising human rights issues with allies.