UN Body Condemns Death Sentences for Drug Cases in Saudi Arabia, Calls for Victim Compensation
UN Body Condemns Death Sentences for Drug Cases in Saudi Arabia, Calls for Victim Compensation
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A United Nations body has deemed the execution of two Egyptian men in Saudi Arabia over drug-related charges as “unjustified,” urging Saudi authorities to review their laws and compensate the victims’ families.
According to a report by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Egyptians, Farhat Fathi Abdel Maqsoud Abu Al-Saud and Mohamed Kamel Salah Kamel, were executed last year following convictions on drug-related offenses, despite violations in their detention and trial procedures.
The report stated that both men were held without sufficient legal basis and were denied fair trial rights. It described the death sentences as “indefensible” and noted that carrying them out violated Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The UN body called on Saudi authorities to provide compensation to the families and return the victims’ remains. It also recommended reinstating a temporary moratorium on the death penalty for drug-related offenses.
Saudi authorities, however, denied any violations, asserting that the defendants received fair and public trials, and emphasized that the death penalty under Saudi law applies only to serious crimes, with drug offenses considered as severe as homicide.
The report also raised concerns about a possible systematic pattern of arbitrary detention, noting a rising number of executions in recent years, particularly affecting foreign nationals.
UN human rights data indicate that at least 356 death sentences were carried out in 2025, the majority for drug-related cases, with foreigners accounting for approximately 57% of executions.
While the UN Working Group’s recommendations are not legally binding, they are frequently cited in international legal forums and highlight potential human rights violations, amid growing calls to reconsider the application of the death penalty in such cases.
