In a harrowing surge, Saudi Arabia witnessed a staggering increase in executions, with reports indicating that 345 people were put to death in 2024, a grim rise from 172 in the previous year. This alarming statistic translates to an execution every 25 hours, as tracked meticulously by the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR). The country’s executions, shrouded in secrecy, particularly highlight a disturbing trend concerning women and foreign nationals, whose numbers are disproportionately rising in the death toll.
The report reveals concerning shifts in the nature of these executions. A significant proportion, 40 percent, stemmed from Taazir rulings, discretionary punishments that deviate from traditional sharia law. Duaa Dhainy, a senior researcher at ESOHR, remarked, “The rise in discretionary death sentences confirms that Saudi Arabia will not adhere to the promises made in recent years regarding reducing death penalties for crimes that do not have clear sharia provisions.” This indicates an unsettling expansion of punitive measures beyond established religious guidelines.
In a particularly striking statistic, the executions of women have reached an unprecedented high in 2024, with nine women executed compared to six in 2023. Most of these women were foreign nationals, drawn into the harrowing web of capital punishment due to drug-related offenses. Additionally, foreign executions surged dramatically to 138, a leap from 38 the previous year, pointing towards a relentless pursuit of harsher justice under the kingdom’s legal system.
A surge of executions related to drug offenses characterizes this year’s grim tally, with 122 individuals executed for such crimes. Resuming the execution of drug offenders after a three-year moratorium appears to fuel this crisis, as many victims, including thirty foreign nationals, faced death sentences for relatively minor offenses like hashish smuggling. The overwhelming prison population of foreigners drives this alarming trend, as authorities seek to manage overcrowding through severe punitive measures.
The international community’s silence regarding these human rights abuses emboldens Saudi leadership, leading to this drastic escalation in executions. Rights advocate Josh Cooper highlighted, “The only logical explanation is the wider context of the increasing rehabilitation of Saudi Arabia’s leaders and Mohammed bin Salman over the past couple of years.” The tolerance shown by global leaders, despite egregious human rights violations, reinforces an environment of impunity, undermining any efforts to hold the regime accountable for its actions.
Saudi Arabia’s executions doubled in 2024, rising from 172 to 345 individuals, with particular increases noted among women and foreign nationals. A significant portion of these executions stemmed from drug-related offenses, with 40% connected to Taazir rulings, indicating a shift towards harsher punitive measures. The country’s opaque reporting and international complacency highlight a deeper crisis of human rights and accountability.
In 2024, Saudi Arabia saw an overwhelming rise in executions, particularly of women and foreign nationals, amid growing secrecy and lack of transparency regarding the charges. The shift towards discretionary Taazir rulings raises serious concerns about adherence to human rights and sharia law. The international community’s failure to condemn these actions only deepens the crisis, revealing a disturbing trend where human rights abuses are overshadowed by economic interests and geopolitical strategy. The stark reality of these trends calls for urgent awareness and action.
The increase in executions in Saudi Arabia in 2024 reflects troubling trends within the kingdom’s criminal justice system, characterized by a growing number of executions related to drug offenses and a specific focus on foreign nationals and women. The kingdom’s shift towards Taazir sentences suggests a broader interpretation of justice that strays from established sharia law. This climate of severe punishment and secrecy highlights significant concern regarding human rights in Saudi Arabia, amid a backdrop of international complicity and silence regarding these abuses. The rise in executions appears to be part of a broader agenda to assert control over the prison population, often populated by foreign nationals, while simultaneously managing international relations that have historically been critical of such human rights violations. As governments around the world engage with Saudi Arabia for economic and political reasons, the issue of human rights continues to fall by the wayside, raising ethical questions about complicity and accountability.
Original Source: www.middleeasteye.net
