Saudi Arabia: Executions rise despite pledge to human rights

WASHINGTON: The number of executions in Saudi Arabia has risen sharply in the first half of this year. As of July 15, the state executed 98 men and two women for charges related to murder, terrorism and drugs. This marks a 42% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to a recent report by the Berlin-based European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR).

"Some executions are not even for recognized common crimes, but for such political offenses as 'endangering national unity' or 'undermining societal security,'" Kenneth Roth, the former director of Human Rights Watch and current professor at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs, told DW.

Political dissidents and rights' supporters often face trials at the country's secretive Specialized Criminal Court, which is the country's designated counter-terror tribunal. A report by the human rights group Amnesty International found that authorities were using this court "as a weapon to systematically silence dissent."

The crackdown on civil rights' activists is in contrast to Saudi Arabia's so-called Vision 2030, an ambitious project to drive societal and economic overhaul in the country. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had introduced the set of reforms in 2017 in a bid to diversify the country's dependence on oil sales by investing in green technologies, boosting foreign investment, and opening the country to non-religious tourism. Part of this strategy included hosting global sports events, such as the upcoming Olympic Esports Games or the football World Cup in 2034. Critics say that Saudi investments in major sports events are an attempt to "sportswash" — or whitewash through the use of sports — the kingdom's human rights records by boosting its international popularity.

The latest increase in executions also contradicts recent statements by the Saudi Human Rights Commission. In July, Hala Al-Tuwaijri, President of the Human Rights Commission told the UN Human Rights Council that "Saudi Arabia is determined to move forward towards achieving the best international standards in protecting and promoting human rights, based on its established principles and values." Council members had issued recommendations to Saudi Arabia on how to improve its human rights record. These included the abolition of the death penalty and the fostering of fundamental freedoms. Ali Adubisi, who heads the Berlin-based non-governmental ESOHR organization, said the statement by Al-Tuwaijiri rang hollow. "Actual human rights would allow criticism, monitoring and accountability in the authoritarian system," he told DW. DW reached out to Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission with a request for comment but had not received an answer by the time of publication.

Executions in Saudi Arabia have been on a steady rise in the past years: In 2023, Saudi Arabia executed 172 people, though in 2022, it was 196 people, triple the number executed in 2021 and a seven-fold increase compared to 2020. "It's our position that the Saudi government under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has not been held accountable for prior abuses by the international community, and this has allowed him to go forward with his repression," Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, told DW.

"We have seen that these death sentences result from an incredibly arbitrary and cruel criminal justice system that allows individuals who have not received a fair trial to be executed," Shea said. Another reason for this year-on-year increase is the country's return to the death penalty for minors and drug-related offences. A moratorium, which was introduced in January 2020, ended in November 2022.

"The Saudi government promised to curtail the use of the death penalty, particularly in non-violent drug- related offences and for child offenders," Shea told DW, adding that "unfortunately, we have seen a complete and utter reversal of this trend and a very clear breaking of the promises to curtail the use of the death penalty."

As of now, of the 100 executions in 2024, 66 detainees faced charges of murder, while the remaining 34 death penalties affected individuals who were charged for terrorism and drug-related offenses. The rise in executions has been further exacerbated by the increased application of so-called ta'zir rulings. Punishments based on ta'zir rulings are widely considered to be arbitrary, as the punishment is not set out by any codified application of law, but left to the discretion of independent judges. ESOHR is currently monitoring the cases of nine minors on death row, eight of whom were handed the death sentence through ta'zir rulings. While human rights experts say women's rights in Saudi Arabia have significantly improved, they've noted that none of the country's latest modernization reforms have extended to curtailing punishment for political dissent or calls for human rights.

"If there was free speech in Saudi Arabia, people would start expressing their opinions on different matters, not only on the regime," Lina al-Hathloul, a women's rights activist at the London-based human rights watchdog Alqst, told DW. In her view, a vibrant society would have the space to critically question the role of Crown Prince bin Salman, who is set to become king once his father dies. "If his rule was built on institutions and on the rule of law, [Mohammed bin Salman] himself, as well as the country, would be in a very robust situation, rather than him being at the top and micro-managing the country," al-Hathloul said.

Free speech would also benefit the country's human rights record, she added, as it would lay the foundation for a system of checks and balances, as well as mechanisms for accountability. "But if we continue to turn a blind eye [to human rights abuses by authorities], they will double down and muzzle everyone who might be seen as potential dissident," she told DW.