Saudi Arabia has executed a record number of foreign nationals in 2024, with 101 foreigners among the 213 people executed by October. This includes 21 Pakistanis and 3 Indians, primarily charged with drug-related offenses. These executions have drawn widespread criticism from human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which condemn the practices as violations of international human rights standards.
The number of foreign nationals executed this year includes 21 Pakistanis, 20 Yemenis, 14 Syrians, 10 Nigerians, nine Egyptians, eight Jordanians, and seven Ethiopians. Three individuals each were executed from India, Sudan, and Afghanistan, and one each from Sri Lanka, Eritrea, and the Philippines.
In 2022, according to the Al Jazeera news agency, Saudi Arabia executed 81 men within 24 hours, including seven Yemenis and one Syrian national, on charges such as ‘allegiance to foreign terrorist organizations’ and holding ‘deviant beliefs,’ as reported by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. This marked the largest known mass execution in the kingdom’s modern history.
Saudi Arabia executes 81 people in a single day, the largest known mass execution carried out in the kingdom in its modern history https://t.co/xYxYLOIGOg pic.twitter.com/LiK4iy086f
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 12, 2022
Grounds for Execution in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia enforces capital punishment for a wide range of crimes, including drug trafficking, terrorism, murder, and certain religious offenses. Despite promises to limit the death penalty, the kingdom resumed executions for drug-related offenses in 2022, reversing a previous moratorium. Human rights advocates argue that many trials leading to such sentences lack transparency and due process, with some individuals convicted based on confessions extracted under torture.
Amnesty International described the situation as a “chilling disregard for the right to life,” pointing out that many of those executed were convicted for non-lethal offenses like drug trafficking, which do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes” under international law. Human Rights Watch emphasized the alarming rise in executions in 2024, calling Saudi Arabia’s record a “flagrant disregard for life.” Critics also highlighted the kingdom’s failure to meet international standards of justice, particularly for migrant workers and minors.
The rising number of executions in Saudi Arabia underscores the kingdom’s strict interpretation of Sharia law and its use of the death penalty as a tool for governance. However, this has tarnished its international image, especially as it seeks greater global influence, such as its bid for a UN Human Rights Council seat. Rights organizations have called on the international community to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for these practices
The capital punishment emphasize stringent safeguards to ensure fairness, justice, and the protection of human rights. These standards are primarily established through various treaties, conventions, and principles set by international organizations like the United Nations. Here are the key international standards:
1. Restrictive Application
- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) permits the death penalty only for the “most serious crimes,” typically interpreted as crimes involving intentional killing.
- The UN Human Rights Committee has clarified that economic crimes, non-violent acts, or acts based on moral or political dissent do not meet the threshold for “most serious crimes.”
2. Fair Trial Guarantees
- Those facing capital punishment must receive a fair trial by a competent, independent, and impartial tribunal.
- Adequate legal assistance must be provided at all stages of the legal process.
- Presumption of innocence is a fundamental right.
- Convictions based on confessions obtained through torture, coercion, or without due process are explicitly prohibited.
3. Prohibition Against Discrimination
- Decisions on capital punishment must not be influenced by race, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, or social status.
4. Protection of Vulnerable Groups
- International standards prohibit the imposition of the death penalty on:
- Minors (individuals under 18 at the time of the offense).
- Pregnant women and new mothers.
- Individuals with mental or intellectual disabilities.
5. Right to Appeal and Clemency
- Individuals sentenced to death have the right to appeal their conviction and sentence to a higher court.
- There must also be a provision for seeking clemency, pardon, or commutation of the sentence.
6. Transparency and Due Process
- Death penalty cases must be conducted with transparency, ensuring public access to information about the process.
- Families of the accused must be informed of the proceedings and given access to the accused.
7. Gradual Abolition Encouraged
- The Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR aims for the abolition of the death penalty, emphasizing the trend toward eliminating its use globally.
- International human rights bodies encourage moratoriums on executions as steps toward abolition.
8. Prohibition of Inhumane Methods
- Execution methods must not involve torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
- The UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions emphasizes humane standards even in the application of capital punishment.
9. Regular Review and International Oversight
- States must regularly review their use of the death penalty in light of their human rights obligations.
- International bodies like the UN and regional organizations monitor and provide guidance on compliance with these standards.
10. Regional Variations
Some regions have stricter standards:
- European Union: Completely prohibits the death penalty (via Protocol No. 6 and No. 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights).
- African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights: Encourages abolition and strictly limits its use.
- Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Also leans strongly toward abolition and imposes strict conditions for its use.
In any civil society, the right to life has to be respected even after the conviction is uphold with genuine and fair trial to the accused.
