Saudi Arabia sets national execution record in consecutive years, group reports News
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Saudi Arabia sets national execution record in consecutive years, group reports

Saudi authorities executed at least 356 people in 2025, Human Right Watch (HRW) reported Tuesday.

The mark set a new record for the highest annual number of executions in the nation since monitoring began. Saudi Arabia exceeded its execution record for the second year in a row, increasing from 345 in 2024.

Most of those executed, nearly 70 percent, were foreign nationals, many of whom were convicted on drug charges. Other convictions arose when individuals exposed official corruption or were accused of terrorism as members of ethnic minority groups.

The report comes amid repeated international calls for Saudi Arabia to address its history of human rights abuses. HRW has previously noted widespread due process violations and systemic abuse of defendants, contending it is unlikely that those executed receive fair trials.

Additionally, 2025 saw consistent calls for Saudi leadership to halt executions for those accused of juvenile crimes following the controversial execution of Jalal al-Labbad. Labbad, a Shi’ite Muslim, was arrested as minor for his participation in protests against the state’s treatment of minority groups. Labbad’s execution in August came in spite of a Royal Decree in 2020 that purportedly abolished the death penalty for minors.

The Arab Charter on Human Rights obligates signatories, like Saudi Arabia, to use the death penalty only for the most serious crimes. Additionally, under Article 37(a) of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, to which Saudi Arabia is a party, executions should not be carried out against those accused of crimes committed prior to 18-years-old. The Convention against Torture also prohibits death sentences stemming from unfair trials or discrimination.

Saudi officials have claimed on several occasions that they plan to reduce the use of capital punishment. Promises for improvement come in part from Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which claims to empower all citizens to create a vibrant society.

HRW has repeatedly stated that it opposes capital punishment in all countries and in all circumstances, arguing that it is uniquely cruel, irreversible and arbitrary.

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