Rights Groups Decry Historic Peak in Death Sentences in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom has surpassed its own annual record for the number of executions for a second straight year.

At least 347 people have been put to death so far this year, per data from a UK-based rights monitor that tracks such cases.

This figure tops the final count of 345 recorded in 2024, representing what the group calls the "most lethal year of executions in the kingdom since records started."

The latest individuals to be executed involved two citizens of Pakistan found guilty on charges related to narcotics.

Details on the Executions

Further cases this year comprised a media professional and two individuals who were children at the time of their alleged offences linked to demonstrations.

Five of those were women. However, per the monitoring group, the majority—around two-thirds—were sentenced for non-lethal drug-related offences.

International bodies have stated that applying the ultimate sentence for such offences is "incompatible with international law and principles."

More than half of those executed were non-Saudi citizens, implicated in what is described as a "war on drugs" within the kingdom.

"The authorities are acting with total disregard now," stated a representative of the campaign. "It's almost flouting the human rights system."

The advocate further labeled torture and forced confessions as "widespread" within the Saudi criminal justice system, calling it a "severe and random suppression."

Individual Cases

Among those put to death this week was a young Egyptian fisherman, taken into custody in 2021. He reportedly claimed he was coerced into carrying illegal substances.

Family members of men on facing capital sentences for drug charges have given accounts privately the "terror" they now live in.

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

Fellow inmates have according to accounts seen individuals they lived alongside for years being "taken kicking and screaming to their death."

Broader Context

The effective leader of Saudi Arabia, who assumed power in 2017, has led major shifts in policy, relaxing some rules while concurrently cracking down on dissent.

Although the country has opened up in a bid to move away from oil dependency, its human rights record remains "abysmal" according to global watchdogs.

"There have been no consequences for carrying out these executions," said a expert focusing on the region. "Major events continue with minimal fallout."

Claims suggest families of the executed are typically given no prior notice, not given the remains, and not informed about where they are interred.

International Response

A United Nations expert has called for an immediate moratorium on executions in Saudi Arabia, pushing for eventual an end to the practice.

The expert also stressed the need for "strict adherence with international standards," including access to lawyers and diplomatic support for non-citizens.

Particular executions have drawn particular ire, including those of individuals who were minors at the time of their alleged crimes and a writer executed on claims of disloyalty.

"The death penalty against journalists is a chilling attack on free speech," declared a leading UNESCO figure.

In a written response to UN concerns, Saudi authorities have maintained that the country "safeguards human rights" and that its laws "outlaw and sanction torture."

The letter added that the capital punishment is used exclusively for the "gravest offences" and after concluding all judicial proceedings.