Findings of a Report; Saudi Arabia Executed 330 People This Year

Despite the claims of Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, who stated that the death penalty has been reduced and is only applied in cases of murder, the number of executions in the country has increased compared to recent decades, reaching 330 this year. The number of executions in Saudi Arabia has been documented and collected by the human rights organization 'Reprieve', based in the UK, and confirmed by Reuters. The statistics indicate that in 2023, the number of executions in Saudi Arabia was 172, and in the previous year, it was 196. 'Reprieve' reported that the 330 executions in 2024 represent the highest number recorded in Saudi Arabia's human rights history. The Saudi government has always denied allegations of violating international human rights standards, claiming that the purpose of heavy penalties such as the death penalty is to protect national security. Investigations by this human rights organization show that more than 150 of this year's executions were carried out for non-lethal offenses. A significant number of these cases relate to drug trafficking, particularly the influx of the chemical drug known as Captagon from Syria to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries during Bashar al-Assad's regime. Another portion of the executions pertains to 'terrorist' crimes that were not lethal. Human rights groups state that the Saudi government often exploits such crimes to suppress dissent and opposition. Of the 330 executions this year, over 100 were of foreign nationals from Middle Eastern, African, and Asian countries. The Saudi government's public relations office did not respond to Reuters' request for comment on the number of executions. Mohammed bin Salman, who took control of affairs after the 2017 coup within the royal family, was heavily condemned by the international community following the horrific murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The Saudi government, under international pressure, conducted investigations and announced that the murder was carried out by a group of rogue security agents. However, Mohammed bin Salman accepted that the ultimate responsibility lies with him since the murder occurred during his rule. Despite severe criticism from Western leaders, the gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi faded into the background after a while and did not significantly affect their relations with Riyadh. Human rights groups have accused the Saudi government of widespread torture and even executing juvenile offenders. Dana Ahmed, a Middle East researcher at Amnesty International, stated, 'The crackdown has intensified but is not as overt and visible as before.' Families of those sentenced to death told Reuters that the Saudi judicial system prevents any action to pursue the cases of their loved ones. In a 2022 interview with the American magazine Atlantic, Mohammed bin Salman claimed that the death penalty has been eliminated in Saudi Arabia except for cases related to murder, and he cannot abolish these cases as this punishment is specified in the Quran.