Saudi Arabia Records Record Number of Executions in 2025

Saudi Arabia Records Record Number of Executions in 2025
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Saudi Arabia carried out a record number of executions in 2025, with authorities putting 356 people to death, according to documented human rights data. Among those executed were individuals convicted in cases described by rights groups as politically motivated, marking the highest annual total of executions recorded in the kingdom to date.

International attention intensified in September when United Nations experts condemned the execution of a young man whose charges dated back to when he was a minor. The experts also urged Saudi authorities to halt another death sentence involving a juvenile offender, but the execution was carried out weeks later, making him the second minor executed in 2025.

Human rights organisations also highlighted cases involving political charges, including the execution of a political analyst previously accused of “treason.” Rights groups argue that such broadly defined charges have increasingly been used to prosecute critics and perceived opponents, often following trials that lack transparency.

A significant development during the year was the execution of a journalist, described as the first such case in Saudi Arabia’s history. The journalist had been detained for several years and was convicted on charges related to online expression, drawing strong criticism from press freedom and human rights advocates.

The majority of executions in 2025 were carried out under discretionary sentences, which allow judges wide latitude in imposing capital punishment. Human rights groups warn that several prominent detainees still face possible execution, raising ongoing concerns about due process, judicial independence and the future use of the death penalty in the kingdom.