Saudi Arabia has executed 101 foreign nationals so far in 2024, an act rights groups are calling “unprecedented.”
The latest execution took place on Saturday in the southwestern region of Najran, where a Yemeni national was beheaded after being convicted of smuggling drugs into the kingdom. This brings the total number of foreign executions to 101, almost triple the figures from 2023 and 2022 when only 34 foreigners were executed each year.
The European-Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR), a Berlin-based advocacy group, described this year’s number as a record-breaking high. Taha al-Hajji, the organization’s legal director, stated, “This is the largest number of executions of foreigners in one year. Saudi Arabia has never executed 100 foreigners in a year.”
The executed foreign nationals came from a range of countries, including:
- 21 Pakistanis
- 20 Yemenis
- 14 Syrians
- 10 Nigerians
- 9 Egyptians
- 8 Jordanians
- 7 Ethiopians
- There were also smaller numbers from Sudan, India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Eritrea, and the Philippines.
A significant portion of these executions have been for drug-related crimes, with 92 such executions reported, 69 of which involved foreigners.
Ironically, in 2022, Saudi Arabia announced its decision to end a three-year moratorium on executing drug offenders. The kingdom, which had previously faced criticism for its use of the death penalty, has also been accused of subjecting foreign defendants to unfair trials.
Al-Hajji stated, “Foreigners are the most vulnerable group. Not only are they often victims of major drug dealers, but they also face a series of violations from the moment of their arrest until their execution.”
Human rights organizations have voiced growing concern over the kingdom’s judicial practices. Jeed Basyouni, who heads Middle East anti-death penalty advocacy at the NGO Reprieve, noted that the ongoing drug-related executions perpetuate a “cycle of violence.”
“This is an unprecedented execution crisis in Saudi Arabia,” Basyouni said.
Despite Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s 2022 comments suggesting the kingdom had eliminated the death penalty for all but the most severe crimes, the country remains one of the top executioners globally. In 2023, Saudi Arabia executed the third-highest number of prisoners in the world, following China and Iran, according to Amnesty International.
The surge in executions this year, coupled with persistent concerns over the fairness of trials, has drawn international condemnation. Saudi Arabia’s rapid pace of executions is at odds with the country’s efforts to improve its global image and attract tourists and investors.
As the executions continue, human rights advocates warn that the situation is only likely to worsen. “Families of foreign nationals on death row are understandably terrified that their loved one will be next,” Basyouni added.
The total number of executions for 2024 is on track to exceed 300.
