Since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman assumed power, at least 1,115 executions have been carried out between June 21, 2017, and October 9, 2024. The latest execution figure, sourced from Reprieve and confirmed by news agency Reuters, shows a significant rise from 172 executions in 2023 and 196 in 2022, making it the highest total ever recorded. Over 150 of those executed this year were convicted of non-lethal crimes, a practice that rights organizations argue violates international law.
Many of these executions were related to alleged drug smuggling, particularly involving the amphetamine-like drug Captagon, which has been flooding the market from Syria under the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad. Others were accused of non-lethal terrorism, a charge rights groups claim is often used against individuals involved in anti-government protests.
While Saudi Arabia once held public beheadings in town squares, these areas are now filled with cafes and restaurants, with little trace of their violent history. “Saudi Arabia’s authorities are pursuing a relentless killing spree displaying a chilling disregard for human life while promoting an empty-worded campaign to rebrand their image,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
In March 2022, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman claimed that Saudi Arabia had “eliminated” the death penalty, except in cases mandated by Sharia law. However, in November 2022, the government carried out its first executions for drug-related offences in nearly three years, overturning a 2021 moratorium on such executions imposed by the Saudi Human Rights Commission.
Surge in Drug-Related Executions
As of September 2024, Saudi Arabia has executed 53 people for drug-related offences, a dramatic increase compared to just two such executions in 2023. This rise included the execution of three foreign nationals from Syria and Nigeria between May and June. Since July, the surge has persisted, with 38 of the 53 individuals executed being foreign nationals.
Increased Execution of Foreign Nationals and Women
By mid-November, over 101 foreign nationals executed were from 14 Asian and African countries, according to a report from AFP. The total of 101 foreign nationals executed this year is three times higher than the 34 recorded in both 2023 and 2022.
This year’s executions involved individuals from multiple countries, including:
- 21 from Pakistan
- 20 from Yemen
- 14 from Syria
- 3 each from Sudan, India, and Afghanistan
- 1 each from Sri Lanka, Eritrea, and the Philippines
The European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) reports a record seven women executed in 2024, with three linked to drug offenses. Most of these women were foreign nationals, mainly migrant workers from Africa and Asia.
Has the story changed on a global scale?
In 2023, Amnesty International recorded at least 1,153 executions across 16 countries, a 31% increase from the 883 executions in 2022, marking the highest total since 2015. However, the number of countries carrying out executions was the lowest on record, excluding China, where execution statistics are considered state secret, and other nations like Afghanistan, North Korea, Palestine, Syria, and Vietnam, where access to information is limited.
Source – Amnesty International
The increase was largely driven by a 48 per cent rise in executions in Iran, which accounted for 74 per cent of all global executions. The top five countries responsible for the highest number of executions were Iran (at least 853), Saudi Arabia (172), Somalia (at least 38), the US (24), and Iraq (at least 16). All but Saudi Arabia, which saw a slight decline from 196 executions in 2022, experienced an increase in executions compared to the previous year.
Additionally, the number of new death sentences surged by 20 per cent, reaching a total of 2,428 in 2023, the highest figure since 2018.
Two new organizations—the Presidency of State Security and the Public Prosecution Office—were created under royal decrees in 2022 to suppress activists.
As part of his Vision 2030 initiative, aimed at transforming Saudi Arabia’s image from a country known for strict religious controls and human rights abuses into a global tourism and entertainment hub, the crown prince is investing billions. However, human rights groups have accused the kingdom of sentencing minors to death and using torture to extract confessions.