Rights Groups Condemn New Record in Death Sentences in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has surpassed its previous yearly high for the carrying out of death sentences for a second year running.

At least 347 people have been executed so far this year, as reported by a London-based advocacy organization that tracks such cases.

This figure exceeds the final count of 345 recorded in 2024, marking what the group calls the "deadliest year of executions in the kingdom since records started."

The most recent individuals to be executed involved two citizens of Pakistan convicted on drug-related offences.

Analysis of the Executions

Additional individuals executed include a media professional and two individuals who were minors at the time of their claimed protest-related crimes.

Five of those were female. But, per the monitoring group, the vast bulk—about two-thirds—were convicted for non-violent substance violations.

The United Nations have stated that applying the death penalty for such crimes is "contrary to international human rights standards."

More than half of those put to death were non-Saudi citizens, ensnared in what is described as a "crackdown on substances" within the kingdom.

"The authorities are acting with total disregard now," said a head of the monitoring group. "It's almost making a mockery of the global justice mechanism."

The representative further characterized torture and forced confessions as "systemic" within the Saudi judicial process, calling it a "brutal and arbitrary crackdown."

Individual Cases

Among those subjected to capital punishment was a young national of Egypt, detained in 2021. He allegedly claimed he was coerced into smuggling drugs.

Loved ones of men on facing capital sentences for drug charges have described the "fear" they now live in.

"The sole period of the week that I rest is on Friday and Saturday because there are no death sentences carried out on those days," an individual recounted.

Fellow inmates have reportedly seen individuals they lived alongside for years being "taken resisting violently to their death."

Broader Context

The effective leader of Saudi Arabia, who assumed power in 2017, has led significant societal reforms, relaxing some limitations while concurrently cracking down on dissent.

Even as the country has opened up in a bid to move away from oil dependency, its human rights record remains "poor" according to international observers.

"There's been no cost for proceeding with these executions," noted a analyst focusing on the region. "Major events continue with no repercussions."

Claims suggest families of the executed are usually left in the dark, not given the remains, and not told burial sites.

Global Condemnation

A UN special rapporteur has called for an prompt suspension on executions in Saudi Arabia, pushing for eventual abolition.

The expert also stressed the need for "full compliance with international safeguards," including legal assistance and diplomatic support for non-citizens.

Specific cases have drawn special condemnation, including those of individuals who were under the age of majority at the time of their reported offences and a writer executed on claims of disloyalty.

"The death penalty against journalists is a chilling attack on freedom of expression," said a leading UNESCO figure.

In a official communication to international queries, Saudi authorities have asserted that the country "protects and upholds human rights" and that its laws "prohibit and punish torture."

The response continued that the capital punishment is applied solely for the "heinous violations" and after completing all court appeals.