The order was issued: Kill them all... PHOTO

Colonel Rabih Alenezi states that he was ordered to relocate peasants from a local tribe to make way for the construction of part of the Neom environmental project, "The Line".

One of the peasants, it is claimed, was subsequently shot because he protested against the eviction.

The Saudi government and the administration of the Neom eco-project refused to comment on these allegations, the BBC points out, citing Index.hr.

The Neom eco-region of Saudi Arabia is said to be worth $500 billion. The main project, "The Line", should be a city without cars, only 200 m wide and 170 km long. The authorities estimate that 2.4 km of the project will be completed by 2030.

Saudi authorities say construction has displaced more than 6,000 people so far, but the UK-based human rights group ALQST estimates the figure is higher.

The BBC analyzed satellite images of three destroyed villages - al-Quraybah, Sharma and Ghayal. Houses, schools and hospitals were erased from the map.

Alenezi, who went into exile in the United Kingdom last year, was ordered to "clear the terrain" of al-Quraybah village, which is located 4.5 km south of the "Line".

The villages were mostly inhabited by members of the Huwaitat tribe. Superiors told Alenezi in 2020 that there are many rebels in the tribe and that all those who resist the resettlement should be killed. He was told that the use of lethal force is permitted against those who decide not to move out and stay in their homes.

Alenezi managed to avoid participating in that mission for fabricated medical reasons, but it was carried out anyway. Dozens of people were detained for resisting the eviction, many of whom were prosecuted on terrorism-related charges.

ALQST states that 40 of them are still in custody, and that five are awaiting the death penalty. Some of them were arrested just because they publicly mourned on social media the death of a peasant who was shot, ALQST adds.