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Record executions continue in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has executed at least 347 people in 2025, surpassing last year's record of 345, according to UK-based human rights group Reprieve. The surge marks the kingdom's deadliest year for capital punishment since monitoring began.
Drug offenses drive majority of executions
Nearly two-thirds of those executed-around 230 individuals-were convicted of non-lethal drug-related crimes, a practice the UN deems incompatible with international standards. Over half were foreign nationals, including two Pakistani men executed this week for drug smuggling.
Reprieve reported that 96 executions involved hashish-related charges alone. Jeed Basyouni, the group's head of death penalty advocacy for the Middle East and North Africa, called the crackdown "brutal and arbitrary," noting that marginalized groups and innocent people have been swept up in the campaign.
Torture and forced confessions alleged
Relatives of death row inmates described living in "terror," with executions carried out without prior notice to families. Reprieve documented cases of torture and coerced confessions, including that of Issam al-Shazly, an Egyptian fisherman executed on Tuesday after claiming he was forced into drug smuggling during his 2021 arrest in Saudi waters.
Cellmates reportedly witness condemned prisoners being dragged to execution, often screaming. The Saudi government has not disclosed execution methods, though beheading or firing squads are believed to be used.
Minors, journalists among those executed
This year's victims include two Saudi men-Abdullah al-Derazi and Jalal al-Labbad-who were minors when arrested for protesting the government's treatment of the Shia Muslim minority. Both were convicted of terrorism after trials Amnesty International called "grossly unfair," relying on torture-tainted confessions.
Journalist Turki al-Jasser was executed in June for terrorism and treason, becoming the first reporter put to death under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's rule. UNESCO condemned the killing as a "chilling attack on press freedom."
International condemnation, no Saudi response
The UN's special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz, demanded an immediate moratorium on executions, citing violations of international safeguards. The Saudi government, which has not responded to BBC requests for comment, defended its practices in a January 2025 letter to the UN, stating the death penalty is reserved for "the most serious crimes" after exhaustive judicial review.
Human Rights Watch researcher Joey Shea criticized the lack of consequences for Saudi Arabia, noting that high-profile events and economic partnerships continue unabated. "There's been no cost for Mohammed bin Salman," she said.
Families denied closure
Relatives of the executed are rarely informed in advance, and bodies are not returned. A family member of one victim told the BBC prisoners were "taken like goats" to their deaths. The UN has repeatedly urged Saudi Arabia to halt executions, ensure fair trials, and provide transparency on its use of capital punishment.
