The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed deep concern over the significant global increase in executions, emphasizing that Saudi Arabia remains one of the countries with the highest execution rates. Türk stated that the number of executions carried out in 2023 increased by 31% compared to 2022, marking the highest rate recorded in eight years.
During a high-level discussion at the Human Rights Council on February 25, 2025, Türk stressed that the death penalty contradicts the right to life and human dignity, noting that more than 40% of global executions were related to drug-related offenses, despite international human rights laws restricting the application of capital punishment to the most serious crimes, such as premeditated murder.
The High Commissioner pointed out that 113 countries have completely abolished the death penalty, reflecting a growing global trend toward its elimination. However, some nations, including Saudi Arabia, continue to implement executions at a high rate, impacting not only the condemned individuals but also their families and society as a whole.
Türk also highlighted that the death penalty is often discriminatory, disproportionately affecting ethnic and religious minorities and marginalized communities. He warned that its existence could be used to restrict civil liberties and target activists and human rights defenders.
Meanwhile, the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights confirmed that UN reports regularly document Saudi Arabia’s role in the global increase in executions. According to the organization, the kingdom has carried out 65 executions since the beginning of 2025, 33 of which were related to drug offenses, even though such charges do not fall under the category of the most serious crimes under international law.
Türk called on countries that still practice the death penalty to immediately suspend its implementation and seek more humane judicial alternatives. He emphasized that the death penalty does not serve justice or deter crime but rather poses the grave risk of executing innocent people due to irreversible judicial errors.
