Rising Threat to Activists in Saudi Arabia: Surge in Executions Looms
Threat to activists in Saudi: arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, and harsh punishments raise serious human rights concerns.
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International human rights organizations have responded to the alarming rise in the number of human rights activists and advocates for freedom of expression facing imminent execution in Saudi Arabia in 2024.
The list of Saudi activists sentenced to death has grown by four, bringing the total to 69 individuals at risk of execution for their advocacy of human rights and freedom of expression.
Notable figures include Salman Al-Awdeh, Awad Al-Qarni, and Ali Al-Omari, who were arbitrarily detained, as well as minors like Abdullah Al-Huaiti, Ali Al-Sabiti, and Hassan Al-Faraj.
Human rights organizations stress that the official figures significantly underestimate the actual number of executions in Saudi Arabia. In 2023, these organizations were only able to document and verify 3% of the executions reported by the Saudi Ministry of Interior and official news agencies, such as "WAS. " According to official data, Saudi authorities implemented 172 death sentences in 2023.
The actual number of executions in Saudi Arabia in 2022 is believed to be over 15% higher than the figure reported by the Saudi Ministry of Interior. While the Ministry announced 147 executions for the year, a single day saw the collective execution of 81 individuals.
According to human rights organizations, Saudi Arabia initiated its first executions in the third month of 2023 and has since maintained an average of 17 executions per month.
In addition to the ongoing executions, the recent implementation of death sentences during the month of Ramadan is particularly noteworthy. This is considered unprecedented as traditionally, executions are not carried out during this holy month. In Islam, executions are prohibited during the forbidden months, and Ramadan is not classified as one of these months.
The discrepancy in reported execution numbers has raised concerns, with the official Human Rights Commission indicating that the actual number of executions in Saudi Arabia in 2022 is 29% higher than what was disclosed by the Saudi government.
In a statement to Amnesty International, the official human rights commission revealed that Saudi Arabia conducted 196 executions in 2022, a significantly higher number than the 147 cases reported by the country's official news agency, WAS. The European Saudi Human Rights Organization has also highlighted this issue and raised concerns about secret executions in Saudi Arabia.
The number of executions of women in Saudi Arabia in 2023, totaling 6, reflects a 3. 4% increase compared to 2022 and a 0. 69% increase compared to 2021. Official data indicates that out of 30 death sentences issued by the criminal court for terrorist crimes, only 8 were related to charges of murder.
It is concerning that over 70% of the death sentences handed down in the criminal court in Saudi Arabia were deemed disproportionate to the crimes committed according to international laws. This lack of proportionality between the crime and the sentence raises significant human rights issues.
Among the accusations leading to death sentences in Saudi Arabia are offenses such as throwing Molotov cocktails, providing shelter and aid to persecuted individuals, illegal exit from the country, and possession of weapons.
Additionally, as reported by the European Saudi Human Rights Organization, the Saudi regime persisted in detaining the bodies of executed individuals in 2023, withholding them from their families and refusing to release them.
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