Saudi Arabia's Execution Rate Rises Sharply, Contradicting Claims of Modernization

Human rights observers have recorded a 42% increase in executions in Saudi Arabia, despite the kingdom's claims to modernization and its ambitious Vision 2030 project. The lack of accountability and arbitrary rulings have contributed to the rise in executions, with the country executing 98 men and two women for charges related to murder, terrorism, and drugs in the first half of this year.

Key Takeaways:

• The number of executions in Saudi Arabia has risen sharply, with a 42% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to a recent report by the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR).
• The country's executions are not limited to recognized common crimes, with some individuals facing death sentences for political offenses such as "endangering national unity" or "undermining societal security."
• The Saudi government has been using the country's secretive Specialized Criminal Court as a weapon to systematically silence dissent, as a report by Amnesty International found.
• The increase in executions contradicts Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 project, which aims to drive societal and economic overhaul in the country.
• Critics argue that Saudi investments in major sports events, such as the football World Cup in 2034, are an attempt to "sportswash" the country's human rights records.
• The Saudi Human Rights Commission has made statements that ring hollow, given the lack of accountability and the continued use of the death penalty, as human rights experts say.
• Executions in Saudi Arabia have been on a steady rise in the past years, with 172 people executed in 2023, 196 people in 2022, triple the number executed in 2021, and a seven-fold increase compared to 2020.
• The country's return to the death penalty for minors and drug-related offenses has contributed to the increase in executions, despite a moratorium that ended in November 2022.
• Of the 100 executions in 2024, 66 detainees faced charges of murder, while the remaining 34 death penalties affected individuals who were charged for terrorism and drug-related offenses.

Statistics:

• 42% increase in executions in Saudi Arabia compared to the same period in 2023 (ESOHR).
• 98 men and two women executed in the first half of this year (ESOHR).
• 172 people executed in 2023.
• 196 people executed in 2022.
• 66 detainees executed for murder.
• 34 detainees executed for terrorism and drug-related offenses.

Sources:

• European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR).
• Human Rights Watch.
• Amnesty International.
• The New York Times.
• Al Jazeera.
• BBC News.
• DW News.