In the grainy video footage a woman on the floor begs for her life, while above her a man dressed in white raises a sword above his head. What happens next is too appalling to recount.
But this isn't the work of the so-called "Islamic State" or even Boko Haram. This is the government of one of the world's wealthiest countries: Saudi Arabia.
Responsible for probably the largest number of beheadings of modern times, the Saudi government runs a sham justice system where confessions are extracted by torture - often for 'offences' that shouldn't be crimes at all. It executes without regard to whether its victims are mentally unwell, intellectually handicapped or even children.
And its horrific and growing enthusiasm for public beheadings (50 people are believed to have been executed already this year) is just the start of its breath-taking disregard for human rights.
The churlishness of Saudi government control extends to being the only country in the world to ban women from driving. Writer Raif Badawi made headlines in January when he was publicly flogged 50 times for setting up an online political forum. Badawi faces 950 more lashings plus 10 years in prison. These outrageous cases give the world a glimpse of the dark underbelly of the glittery Saudi regime, in which virtually all forms of dissent are brutally punished.
In his authorisation of military involvement in Iraq, John Key stated that he's not afraid to use his office to confront evil. As he said at the time, "I will not stand by while people are beheaded". Next week Key will be the first New Zealand prime minister to visit Saudi Arabia.
Knowing how to engage with draconian governments is one of the toughest dilemmas heads of states must face. Is it better to boycott any high-level official contact, or to engage and keep the lines of communication open?
But as all good politicians know, in the real world the questions aren't so simple, let alone the answers.
In my role at Amnesty International I'm often asked whether the heads of countries like New Zealand should be visiting governments like Saudi Arabia at all.
For many good reasons Amnesty International doesn't take positions either way on boycotts, so these aren't calls I'll need to make. But as someone who witnesses the trials and the triumphs of human rights activists in places like Saudi Arabia, I know how a government like ours can send a powerful message.
And so I offer three suggestions to Key based on the 50 years of experience Amnesty International has gained working to influence despotic governments around the world.
Firstly, if a prime minister does decide to visit a country that commits atrocities, they must represent more than just New Zealand's trading interests.
They must also represent the values that New Zealand holds dear, like respect for the law and human rights.
There's a big difference between quietly going through the motions to tick the "I raised human rights" box, and making it a strong focus of the trip and the ongoing relationship.
To achieve this the concerns that are raised need to be specific and tangible. It's never enough to talk generally about human rights without presenting examples of the concrete issues – like the criminalisation of dissent – and the actual cases of people like Badawi that tell the true story. Government leaders from Canada, Norway, Germany, the US, and Britain have all spoken out on his behalf. Will our government take this opportunity to do the same?
Secondly, while it's right to raise human rights concerns in closed-door meetings, it's never enough by itself.
To be effective the concerns should also be repeated in public through the media. Adding to the international call for change encourages other countries to do the same, and it gives courage to citizens like Badawi to know they are not alone when they put their lives and families' futures on the line to speak up for freedom.
And finally, the visit and relationship should reinforce the international laws that we expect our trading partners to live up to.
This is more salient than ever now that New Zealand is on the United Nations Security Council. When raisingBadawi's case, Saudi Arabia's woefully neglected commitments as a signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture would be a good place for Mr Key to start.
None of this is easy when economic interest is at stake. But the mark of a true statesman is a consistency of values and approach that makes it very clear where your country stands, even with trading partners.
Our prime minister has the opportunity to do something meaningful for the brave people in Saudi Arabia who are risking their lives for the basic rights Kiwis use every day.
Next week Key can choose to speak out for those facing torture or beheading in the Saudi sham justice system, or he can let his silence be New Zealand's complicity.
We will be listening and hope to hear our prime minister make human rights a central part of the conversation in Saudi Arabia.
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