According to Reprieve, 2023 has become the "bloodiest" year for executions in the country since monitoring began. In 2024, the number of executed individuals reached 345.
Among the recently executed were two Pakistanis convicted of drug offenses. This year, a journalist and two young people, who were minors at the time of the alleged crimes related to protests, were also executed. Additionally, five women were executed.
According to the human rights organization, about two-thirds of those executed were convicted of drug-related crimes. This has drawn criticism from the UN, which believes such measures do not meet international standards. More than half of those executed were foreigners and were caught up in the kingdom's "war on drugs."
Saudi authorities have not yet provided official comments regarding the rise in the number of executions.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has significantly changed the face of the country in recent years, easing social restrictions, opening the kingdom to the outside world, and allowing women to drive, while removing the religious police from the streets.
Nevertheless, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch points out that the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia remains "appalling," and the high level of executions raises serious concerns. According to their data, only China and Iran have executed more people in recent years.
