Tue Nov 19 21:56:00 UTC 2024: ## Saudi Arabia’s 2024 Execution Rate Triples, Sparking Human Rights Concerns
**Riyadh, Saudi Arabia** – A surge in executions in Saudi Arabia during 2024 has sparked widespread condemnation from human rights organizations. AFP, citing Saudi state media reports, revealed that at least 101 foreign nationals were executed this year, a three-fold increase compared to 2022 and 2023.
The victims comprised nationals from various countries, including Pakistan (21), Yemen (20), Syria (14), Nigeria (10), Egypt (9), Jordan (8), and Ethiopia (7). Smaller numbers of executions were also carried out on individuals from India, Afghanistan, Sudan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Eritrea.
Human rights groups claim that 2024 witnessed the highest number of executions in Saudi Arabia in recent years. They attribute this increase to the kingdom’s intensified crackdown on dissent, citing the establishment of new bodies like the Presidency of State Security and the Public Prosecution Office, and the adoption of stricter anti-terrorism laws. These measures, the groups argue, severely curtail freedom of expression.
The increase in executions is also linked to a rise in capital punishment for drug-related offences, with reports indicating that at least 92 individuals were executed for drug trafficking in 2024 alone. The overall number of executions between June 21, 2017, and October 9, 2024, reportedly reached 1,115. Most recently, a Yemeni national was executed for drug smuggling, bringing the 2024 total to 101.
Human rights organizations have criticized the Saudi government’s actions, linking the increase in executions and restrictions on freedom of expression to the ascension of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. They contend that these measures constitute a severe infringement on fundamental human rights.
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