Advocacy Organizations Decry Unprecedented High in Executions in the Kingdom

Saudi Arabia has broken its previous yearly high for the number of executions for a second straight year.

No fewer than 347 persons have been put to death so far this year, as reported by a British advocacy organization that monitors such sentences.

This figure is higher than the final count of 345 documented in 2024, making it what the group calls the "most lethal year of executions in the kingdom since tracking was initiated."

The newest individuals to be executed involved two Pakistani nationals convicted on charges related to narcotics.

Details on the Executions

Additional individuals executed include a reporter and two young men who were children at the time of their claimed offences linked to demonstrations.

Five were women. But, according to the monitoring group, the majority—around two-thirds—were sentenced for not involving murder drug-related offences.

The United Nations have declared that applying the death penalty for such violations is "violates international human rights standards."

Over 50% of those put to death were non-Saudi citizens, implicated in what is described as a "campaign against narcotics" within the kingdom.

"Saudi Arabia is operating with absolute immunity now," said a representative of the rights organization. "It's almost making a mockery of the international rights framework."

The advocate further characterized extracted statements through mistreatment as "widespread" within the Saudi judicial process, calling it a "brutal and arbitrary crackdown."

Personal Accounts

Among those put to death this week was a young Egyptian fisherman, arrested in 2021. He allegedly claimed he was forced into smuggling drugs.

Loved ones of men on awaiting execution for drug charges have described the "dread" they now live in.

"The only time of the week that I sleep is on the weekend because there are a halt in proceedings on those days," an individual recounted.

Cellmates have reportedly observed individuals they lived alongside for years being "led resisting violently to their death."

Broader Context

The effective leader of Saudi Arabia, whose rise began in 2017, has overseen significant societal reforms, loosening some restrictions while simultaneously cracking down on dissent.

While the country has become more accessible in a bid to move away from oil dependency, its human rights record remains "poor" according to international observers.

"No price has been paid for carrying out these executions," commented a analyst focusing on the region. "Major events continue with little backlash."

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

Calls for Action

A United Nations expert has demanded an immediate moratorium on executions in Saudi Arabia, advocating for eventual abolition.

The rapporteur also stressed the need for "strict adherence with international protections," including legal assistance and consular access for detainees from abroad.

Notable instances have drawn particular ire, including those of individuals who were juveniles at the time of their charged acts and a writer executed on national security allegations.

"The death penalty against media workers is a frightening blow on press freedom," said a leading UNESCO figure.

In a formal letter to UN concerns, Saudi authorities have maintained that the country "defends and maintains human rights" and that its laws "ban and penalize torture."

The communication continued that the capital punishment is used exclusively for the "most serious crimes" and after concluding all court appeals.