Advocacy Organizations Decry Unprecedented High in Capital Punishment in the Kingdom
The nation has exceeded its previous yearly high for the number of executions for a second straight year.
No fewer than 347 people have been subjected to capital punishment so far this year, per data from a London-based campaign group that monitors such sentences.
This figure exceeds the number of 345 recorded in 2024, representing what the group calls the "most lethal year of executions in the kingdom since records started."
The latest people put to death included two citizens of Pakistan found guilty on charges related to narcotics.
Details on the Executions
Additional individuals executed include a journalist and two youths who were minors at the time of their alleged protest-related crimes.
Five were women. But, as stated by the monitoring group, the majority—about two-thirds—were convicted for non-lethal narcotics charges.
International bodies have declared that applying the capital punishment for such violations is "contrary to international human rights standards."
A majority of those executed were foreign nationals, ensnared in what is described as a "campaign against narcotics" within the kingdom.
"Saudi Arabia is operating with total disregard now," stated a head of the campaign. "It's almost ridiculing the international rights framework."
The representative further labeled extracted statements through mistreatment as "systemic" within the Saudi legal framework, calling it a "brutal and arbitrary crackdown."
Personal Accounts
Among those subjected to capital punishment was a young national of Egypt, detained in 2021. He is said to have claimed he was pressured into trafficking narcotics.
Family members of men on death row for drug charges have described the "terror" they now live in.
"The single occasion of the week that I find peace is on those two days because there are no executions on those days," a family member said.
Fellow inmates have reportedly seen individuals they lived alongside for years being "taken in protest to their death."
Political Climate
The paramount authority of Saudi Arabia, who became crown prince in 2017, has led profound social changes, relaxing some rules while simultaneously silencing criticism.
Even as the country has welcomed foreign engagement in a bid to move away from oil dependency, its human rights record remains "poor" according to rights groups.
"No price has been paid for carrying out these executions," commented a analyst focusing on the region. "High-profile activities continue with little backlash."
Claims suggest families of the deceased are often left in the dark, not given the remains, and not informed about burial sites.
International Response
A global human rights official has urged an prompt suspension on executions in Saudi Arabia, pushing for eventual abolition.
The rapporteur also stressed the need for "strict adherence with international standards," including representation and embassy contact for foreign nationals.
Specific cases have drawn special condemnation, including those of individuals who were juveniles at the time of their charged acts and a journalist executed on claims of disloyalty.
"Executions against media workers is a chilling attack on free speech," stated a international agency head.
In a written response to UN concerns, Saudi authorities have asserted that the country "safeguards human rights" and that its laws "ban and penalize torture."
The letter continued that the ultimate sentence is used exclusively for the "heinous violations" and after completing all court appeals.
