Saudi Arabia has registered its highest annual number of executions in 2024, surpassing the previous year's total, according to data compiled by the UK-based campaign group Reprieve. At least 347 individuals have been executed this year, an increase from 345 in 2023. Human rights organizations have voiced concerns regarding the nature of offenses, judicial processes, and the lack of official transparency.
Execution Trends and Data
Reprieve, which monitors executions in Saudi Arabia, characterized 2024 as the year with the highest number of executions since its monitoring commenced. The reported total of 347 individuals includes a journalist, two individuals reported by human rights groups to have been minors at the time of their alleged protest-related crimes, and five women. The most recent executions included two Pakistani nationals convicted of drug-related offenses.
Nature of Offenses and International Concerns
Approximately two-thirds of those executed were convicted of non-lethal drug-related offenses, according to Reprieve. The United Nations has previously stated that applying the death penalty for drug offenses is "incompatible with international norms and standards." Over half of the individuals executed for drug-related charges were foreign nationals. Specifically, 96 of the executions were linked solely to hashish-related offenses.
Among those executed for drug-related charges was Issam al-Shazly, an Egyptian fisherman arrested in 2021 in Saudi territorial waters and convicted of drug smuggling, with allegations of coercion in his involvement.
Judicial Process Concerns
An increase in drug-related executions has been observed since Saudi authorities ended an unofficial moratorium in late 2022. The UN human rights office described this resumption as "deeply regrettable."
Saudi authorities have not publicly responded to inquiries regarding the rise in executions. Jeed Basyouni, Reprieve's head of death penalty for the Middle East and North Africa, stated that torture and forced confessions are "endemic" within the Saudi criminal justice system.
Reprieve also reported that families of those executed are often not informed in advance, do not receive the body, or are not informed of the burial location. While not officially disclosed, the method of execution is understood to involve either beheading or firing squad.
Specific Cases Highlighted by Rights Groups
Human rights organizations have highlighted several specific cases:
- Abdullah al-Derazi and Jalal al-Labbad: Both Saudi nationals were executed in October and August respectively. Amnesty International stated that both were minors at the time of their arrest for alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012 against the government's treatment of the Shia Muslim minority and for attending funerals of individuals killed by security forces. They were convicted of terrorism-related charges following trials that Amnesty International described as "grossly unfair" and reliant on "torture-tainted confessions." UN human rights experts had previously called for their release.
- Turki al-Jasser: The journalist was executed in June after being arrested in 2018 and sentenced to death on charges of terrorism and high treason based on writings attributed to him. Unesco's Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, stated that capital punishment against journalists constitutes "a chilling attack on freedom of expression and press freedom." Reporters Without Borders identified al-Jasser as the first journalist executed in Saudi Arabia since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came to power.
International Calls for Action
Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz, the UN's special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, has called for an immediate moratorium on executions in Saudi Arabia, with the objective of abolition. He also urged for adherence to international safeguards, including:
- Effective legal assistance and consular access for foreign nationals.
- Prompt notification to families.
- The timely return of remains.
- The publication of comprehensive execution data for independent scrutiny.
Broader Context
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who became the de facto ruler in 2017, has initiated significant reforms within Saudi Arabia, including loosening social restrictions and promoting economic diversification. However, human rights groups continue to critique the kingdom's human rights record, citing the high number of executions as a significant concern. Human Rights Watch describes Saudi Arabia's human rights record as concerning.
According to human rights activists, only China and Iran have executed more individuals than Saudi Arabia in recent years. Joey Shea, a researcher for Human Rights Watch focusing on Saudi Arabia, noted that international engagement, including entertainment and sporting events, continues in the kingdom.