On 12 March 2022, the Saudi Ministry of Interior published a statement announcing the mass execution of 81 people. In form, the statement was not similar to previous execution statements that the Ministry of Interior has been publishing to announce the execution of death sentences, and it also showed grave violations of international law far from documenting cases.
The statement did not indicate the type of sentences that were carried out, as it did not detail whether the executed had faced death sentences by Hadd, Qisas, or Ta'zir. Saudi Arabia has made a number of promises recently, indicating its intention to stop the death sentences that are not based on Sharia or legal texts, and by this means the Ta'zir death sentences. The most prominent of these promises made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in his interview with The Atlantic newspaper. According to the European-Saudi organization, a number of individuals were confirmed to have been sentenced to Ta'zir execution, and the course of the cases and the approach followed by the Saudi government confirms the shortcomings and impurities of the judicial system. According to the documentation of dozens of execution cases, the defendants were subjected to torture, ill-treatment, and deprivation of the right to adequate self-defence.
In addition, according to the official statement, many of the executed individuals did not face grave or more serious charges under international law, and therefore did not include murder charges. According to the statement, 38 people faced charges, including targeting security centers, robbery and possession of weapons, while a Saudi and two Yemenis faced charges related to espionage, while 3 faced attempted murder.
The lack of transparency in the Saudi government’s handling of the death penalty file prevented the follow-up and documentation of all cases, but the cases documented by the organization showed grave violations of rights:
Mohammed Al-Shakhouri::
Muhammad al-Shakhouri (July 20, 1984) was subjected to enforced disappearance on April 17, 2017, when he was arrested at one of the checkpoints in his town of Awamiya. Three days later, the security forces took him to his house and raided the house by force. The family lost contact with al-Shakhouri, and the government refused to provide the family with any information or allow it to appoint a lawyer to communicate with him and find out the circumstances and reasons for his arrest.
Al-Shakhouri remained in solitary confinement for more than three months, during which he was subjected to various types of torture and ill-treatment, including sleep deprivation, beatings, being forced to stand for a long time. The torture led to a number of his teeth falling out and he was taken several times to the hospital, but he did not get the health care he needed.
The Public Prosecution has brought a number of charges against al-Shakhouri, including: calling for sit-ins and demonstrations and raising anti-state slogans, possession and use of weapons, and possession of photos and information of individuals considered terrorists by states.
Asaad Shuber::
The young Asaad Shubar Ali (July 1, 1984) was arrested on April 28, 2017, in the Asir region, without presenting an arrest warrant, while he was driving his wife to the school where she works. Asaad was kept in solitary confinement for four months, during which time he was unable to communicate with his family or the outside world. He was also subjected to many types of physical and psychological torture in order to force him to sign confessions written by the investigator himself. Shuber asked the interrogator to take him to the hospital for treatment, but he did not respond to his request, leaving him in constant pain.
Among the charges brought against him: participating in demonstrations, chanting political slogans, calling for demonstrations and sit-ins, and joining an armed terrorist organization. The allegations of torture against him were not investigated and he was sentenced to death.
Murtada Al Musa::
Murtada Al Musa (November 7, 1987) was arrested on December 17, 2013. He was severely tortured and prevented from communicating with the outside world for months. He was charged with several charges, including: participating in the demonstrations and gatherings that took place in Qatif, participating in the formation of a terrorist cell, and shooting. He confirmed before the judge that confessions had been extracted from him under torture, despite that, he was sentenced to death by Tazir punishment on December 4, 2020, seven years after his arrest.
Aqil Al-Faraj::
Aqil Al-Faraj (16 November 1991) he was arrested on December 25, 2013 while passing through a checkpoint in the Nasreh neighborhood in Qatif. No arrest warrant was presented against him and he was arrested in the General Intelligence Prison in Dammam, and placed in a solitary cell, where he was tortured and ill-treated for two and a half months. He was beaten, electrocuted, cigarettes extinguished on his body, and placed in very cold rooms. The torture he was subjected to led to poor eyesight, permanent pain in the back and joints, as well as chronic psychological suffering.
Almost five years after his arrest, Al-Faraj’s trial began before the Specialized Criminal Court, where he was charged with several charges, including participating in the formation of a terrorist cell with the aim of disobeying the ruler, inciting demonstrations, trading in weapons, promoting, using narcotics, and covering up wanted persons. Al-Faraj suffered a nervous breakdown upon hearing the charges brought against him and the Public Prosecution's request to kill him. Al-Faraj confirmed before the judge that he was forced to sign the confessions under severe torture, but the judge did not pay any attention to this and it was not investigated.
Yassin bin Hussein Ibrahim::
Yassin Ibrahim (21/07/1987), was arrested on November 8, 2016. He was subjected to enforced disappearance upon arrest and placed in solitary confinement, where he was tortured and intimidated and forced to sign confessions. He was not brought to court until two years after his arrest. He was charged with espionage, communicating with intelligence agents, and storing things that would offend public morals. He confirmed before the judge that he had been subjected to torture and ill-treatment, and denied the charges against him. He was sentenced to death on February 21, 2020.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights confirms that the third mass execution massacre violated international laws and official Saudi promises that the government made during the previous period. The organization stresses that the lack of judicial independence, and the absence of any role for civil society and human rights organizations, prevents tracking trials and monitoring their fairness, while the cases that have been documented refer to the practice of torture, the extortion of confessions, and the denial of the right to self-defense, in addition to broad accusations of retaliation. The organization stresses that the executions in Saudi Arabia and the resurgence of the high numbers of executed sentences indicate the deterioration and bloodshed in the Saudi government's handling of the human rights file.