Surge in Executions in Saudi Arabia Sparks Outrage from Rights Groups

Mon Dec 22 2025 08:59:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Saudi Arabia witnesses a record number of executions, drawing condemnation from human rights organizations for what they describe as a brutal crackdown on dissent.

In a troubling trend, Saudi Arabia has executed at least 347 individuals in 2025, surpassing the previous year's record of 345 executions. Human rights groups, particularly Reprieve, label the year as the 'bloodiest' for the kingdom, primarily noting that most executed were convicted of drug-related offenses. The international community continues to express outrage over the disregard for due process and human rights standards in these executions.

Saudi Arabia has surpassed its record for the number of executions carried out annually for a second consecutive year.

At least 347 people have been executed in 2025, up from a total of 345 in 2024, according to the UK-based campaign group Reprieve, which monitors executions in the kingdom. It noted that this is the bloodiest year of executions in the kingdom since monitoring began. The most recent executions involved two Pakistani nationals convicted of drug offenses.

Among the others executed this year were a journalist and two young men who were minors at the time of their alleged protest-related crimes. Reports indicate that around two-thirds of those put to death were convicted of non-lethal drug-related offenses, prompting labels from the UN as incompatible with international norms and standards. A significant number, primarily foreign nationals, seem to be victims of a harsh "war on drugs" in the kingdom.

Jeed Basyouni, Reprieve's head of death penalty for the Middle East and North Africa, condemned the situation, stating, Saudi Arabia is operating with complete impunity now, making a mockery of the human rights system. She emphasized that torture and forced confessions are endemic within the Saudi criminal justice system, which she described as a brutal and arbitrary crackdown.\

Notably, the recent surge in executions follows the end of an unofficial moratorium on drug-related executions that had been in place since late 2022. Relatives of those on death row have expressed living in terror due to the unpredictable nature of executions, with reports of individuals being taken without notice to their families.

Amid these alarming developments, the UN has called for an immediate moratorium on executions in the kingdom, urging compliance with international safeguards, including legal assistance and prompt notification of families. The atmosphere around executions continues to draw widespread condemnation from human rights advocates, emphasizing the need for reform in Saudi Arabia's approach to capital punishment and human rights.