Saudi Arabia’s Planned Executions of Shia Citizens Draw International Outcry
Saudi Arabia is poised to execute six Shia men, including five who were minors during their arrests for participating in peaceful protests in 2011 and 2012. This alarming development has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and various human rights organizations, which label the death sentences as arbitrary and indicative of systemic discrimination against the Shia minority.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has stated that these individuals were arrested without legal justification and were subjected to unfair trials. Torture allegations abound, with reports detailing severe mistreatment, including beatings and psychological abuse during detention. The case of businessman Saud al-Faraj, who also faces execution, highlights the oppressive environment, as he was tortured into a false confession after refusing to collaborate with authorities.
This situation occurs against a backdrop of escalating executions in Saudi Arabia. In 2024 alone, the kingdom carried out at least 338 executions, a sharp increase from the 170 recorded in 2023 and the highest number in decades, according to an AFP tally. Amnesty International, which has tracked executions in the country since the 1990s, noted that the previous highs were 196 in 2022 and 192 in 1995.
Duaa Dhainy, a researcher at the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, reported that Saudi Arabia had already executed 45 individuals in 2025, with two from the Shia minority. The trials are often secretive, and families are threatened, leaving many unaware of executions until they occur. Between January 2016 and February 2024, 229 executions were tracked by the organization, highlighting the ongoing climate of fear and repression in the kingdom.
The ongoing repression of the Shia community and the alarming rise in executions signal a troubling trend under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. As the kingdom attempts to present a reformist image, the reality for many dissenters remains grim, with secretive trials and a pervasive atmosphere of fear stifling any potential for accountability or change.
