Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior announced the execution of Khaled bin Mohammed bin Talih Al-Shahri and Omar bin Dhafer bin Ali Al-Shahri on October 21, 2024, for what it said was ‘treason’ and affiliation with a terrorist entity.
The executions add to a growing number of death sentences in the kingdom, drawing sharp criticism from human rights groups over what they describe as vague charges, such as terrorism and treason, often used to target political dissidents.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, report that Saudi Arabia has executed over 198 people by late September 2024, marking a record high in recent decades.
Concerns about the fairness of trials and allegations of torture to extract confessions have raised serious questions about the integrity of the judicial process.
Despite international pressure and Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to secure a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, news reports say the kingdom continues to resist calls for judicial reform and a reconsideration of its use of the death penalty.
