We, the undersigned organizations, are deeply concerned about the impending execution of dozens of prisoners in Saudi Arabia on non-lethal drug-related charges, including several Egyptian nationals detained in Tabuk prison. These individuals face the death penalty following flawed judicial processes that violate internationally recognized human rights and legal standards, including Saudi Arabia's obligations under the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which commits states to apply the death penalty for "the most serious crimes."
In December 2024, the Special Rapporteur on the death penalty and the Special Rapporteur on torture sent an urgent appeal to Saudi Arabia, calling on it to ensure that Egyptian citizens are not executed and that they are given a fair trial with a view to commuting their sentences. They also emphasized that the right to life is a peremptory norm of international law that cannot be derogated from.
In 2024, Saudi Arabia carried out 345 executions, nearly doubling the previous annual record. The disproportionate impact on foreigners is of particular concern, especially in drug-related cases, where 75% of the 122 people executed on non-fatal drug charges in 2024 were non-Saudi nationals. In addition, Saudi Arabia continues to impose and carry out death sentences against individuals for crimes allegedly committed when they were minors.
This alarming increase in executions continued into 2025, with 65 executions carried out in the first two months of the year, including 33 drug-related offenses. In the latest urgent appeal, the two states emphasized that Saudi Arabia's ongoing executions demonstrate a systematic failure of justice and a blatant violation of international law, and called for an immediate halt to these executions, an independent investigation into human rights violations in these cases, and a comprehensive reform of the Saudi judicial system to bring it in line with international human rights standards.
Prisoners live in a state of constant terror as they watch their comrades being led to execution on a daily basis. Saudi authorities have increasingly relied on loosely defined drug-related charges to justify the continued use of the death penalty. Many of those sentenced to death were arrested in unclear circumstances, denied access to a lawyer, and subjected to trials that lacked transparency or compliance with international standards, contrary to the kingdom's obligations under the Arab Charter on Human Rights.
Prisoners live in a state of constant terror as they watch their comrades being led to execution on a daily basis. Saudi authorities have increasingly relied on loosely defined drug-related charges to justify the continued use of the death penalty. Many of those sentenced to death were arrested in unclear circumstances, denied access to a lawyer, and subjected to trials that lacked transparency or compliance with international standards, contrary to the kingdom's obligations under the Arab Charter on Human Rights.
The current wave of executions undermines previous assurances made by Saudi authorities to limit the use of the death penalty and reflects a disturbing pattern of inconsistency and impunity. In April 2018, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced to Time magazine that Saudi Arabia was moving away from the death penalty for crimes that do not involve "killing another person," opting for life imprisonment instead. However, this statement was retracted by carrying out 185 executions in 2019.
In March 2022, Mohammed bin Salman reaffirmed his intention to abolish the death penalty, except in cases of premeditated murder, in an interview with The Atlantic. This position was confirmed in July 2024 when Saudi Arabia informed the UN Human Rights Council that the death penalty would be limited to the most serious crimes, and in October 2024 by Saudi representatives at the 89th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. However, implementation has not been in line with its public statements, as it has continued to execute individuals for a wide range of non-fatal offenses.
The lack of transparency allows Saudi authorities to manipulate the judicial process and conceal the true nature of these cases, often targeting vulnerable individuals, including foreigners, with the harshest punishments. Relying on these tactics reflects a systematic abuse of power and a blatant disregard for justice and human rights.
Families of the condemned have been left in the dark, with almost no information about their loved ones' cases or execution schedules. This opacity adds to their suffering and highlights the lack of accountability within the Saudi judicial system. The Special Rapporteurs have emphasized that the lack of transparency in death penalty cases violates UN safeguards requiring minimal suffering, and is binding under customary international law on all states that still apply the death penalty.
We also urgently call on the international community to
- Fulfill its pledge to limit the use of the death penalty to the "most serious crimes," in accordance with international law
- End the use of vague or unsubstantiated charges to justify the application of the death penalty
- Conduct an immediate review of individuals on death row to identify violations of fair procedures or trials in accordance with domestic or international law, and commute sentences in such cases
- Fulfill its international legal obligations, including ensuring the right of detained foreigners to consular protection.
We also urgently call on the international community to
- Increase diplomatic pressure on Saudi Arabia to halt unjust executions and unfair trials and fulfill its international human rights obligations.
- Call for greater transparency and accountability in the Saudi judicial system.
- Urge Saudi Arabia to guarantee the rights of foreigners to consular protection and support.
We also urge the governments of countries whose citizens are at risk of Saudi execution to act swiftly and decisively. Diplomatic pressure must be applied to protect the rights and lives of those facing unjust death sentences and to demand transparency and justice in all judicial proceedings
Signatories:
- مجموعة حقوق الإنسان في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا
- The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR)
- Sinai Foundation for Human Rights
- Center for Democracy in the Middle East
- Law and Democracy Support Foundation
- Fair Square
- Egyptian Front For Human Rights
- منتدى حقوق الإنسان المصري
- المركز الخليجي لحقوق الإنسان
- AlQST for Human Rights
- معهد القاهرة لدراسات حقوق الإنسان