Saudi Arabia Executes Eight in One Day, Drawing Condemnation from Rights Groups

Saudi Arabia Executes Eight in One Day, Drawing Condemnation from Rights Groups
……………….

Human rights organizations have condemned Saudi Arabia for executing eight individuals in a single day, calling it a grave violation of the right to life and a significant setback to the kingdom’s international commitments—particularly in cases involving non-violent drug offenses. According to the official Saudi Press Agency, the executions took place on Sunday and included four Somali nationals and three Ethiopians convicted of trafficking hashish in the southern region of Najran. A Saudi citizen was also executed in Asir province.

The latest executions raise the total number carried out in the kingdom since the beginning of 2025 to 230, including 154 related to drug crimes. The figure is on pace to surpass last year’s total of 338 executions, the highest recorded in recent years. Saudi Arabia resumed executions for drug offenses in late 2022 after a nearly three-year moratorium. The move came as part of what authorities described as a renewed “war on drugs” launched in 2023.

Rights groups argue that executing individuals who have not committed violent crimes undermines Saudi Arabia’s reform narrative under its Vision 2030 initiative and casts doubt on its commitment to justice and human rights. They have called for an immediate halt to executions and the adoption of alternative, non-lethal penalties, stressing that the death penalty fails as an effective deterrent and contributes to deepening legal and humanitarian concerns.