Human Rights Watch Urges EU to Press Saudi Arabia on Executions and Detentions

Human Rights Watch Urges EU to Press Saudi Arabia on Executions and Detentions
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Human Rights Watch has urged the European Union to press Saudi Arabia to halt executions, release detained activists and strengthen protections for migrant workers ahead of the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council summit scheduled for October 24 in Riyadh.

In a letter to European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the rights group said Saudi Arabia carried out at least 356 executions in 2025, including two people convicted of crimes committed as children. It also reported that at least 17 Ethiopian nationals were executed in 2026 and warned that others face imminent execution.

The organization called for the release of people detained for exercising their basic rights and raised concerns over alleged abuses against migrant workers, including practices that may amount to forced labor. It urged the EU to make human rights and labor reforms clear conditions in ongoing trade and partnership negotiations with Gulf countries.