Saudi Arabia carried out 198 executions in 2024, marking its highest number of executions in over three decades, according to a recent report by Amnesty International.
This surpasses the previous record of 196 executions in 2022 and 192 in 1995. The latest executions were announced on Saturday by the Saudi Press Agency, which cited a statement from the Ministry of Interior.
Amnesty International reported that Saudi authorities between May and June 2024, three foreign nationals from Syria and Nigeria were executed for drug-related offences.
The country, which has the third highest number of executions globally after China and Iran, has faced strong criticism from human rights groups. The rise in executions comes despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s previous statements that the death penalty would only be used in murder cases or when a person posed a threat to many lives.
Jeed Basyouni, head of Middle East anti-death penalty advocacy for the NGO Reprieve, criticized the record number of executions, stating that “Saudi Arabia has given up the pretense around reforms on the use of the death penalty.” He added, “Promises made in recent years haven’t materialized or have even been reversed.”
Of the 198 people executed in 2024, 32 were convicted of terrorism-related offenses, while 52 were sentenced for drug-related crimes. This year has seen a sharp rise in the number of drug offenders being executed after Saudi Arabia lifted a three-year moratorium on the death penalty for drug crimes at the end of 2022.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the United Nations, have condemned Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty, especially for non-violent crimes like drug offenses.
In 2022, the UN called on Saudi Arabia to stop executing people for drug-related offenses, stating that it “contradicts international norms and standards.”
Duaa Dhaini, a researcher at the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights, commented on the increase in executions, saying it’s hard to understand the “real motivation” behind the spike. She suggested the executions could be used to “send a message of intimidation and force” or to empty overcrowded prisons.
The 198 executions in 2024 reflect a continued trend of high death penalty numbers, contradicting the image of reform that Saudi Arabia has tried to project in recent years.
