DUBAI: Saudi Arabia executed two people convicted of terrorism related charges, the interior ministry said Saturday, bringing the total number of executions carried out this year to at least 100, according to an AFP tally.
The ministry’s announcement posted on social media said the two Saudi nationals had been executed for their involvement in “terrorism”, including joining a terrorist organisation and attending training camps abroad, where they learned to produce explosives. “After they were referred to the competent court, a ruling was issued confirming the charges against them and ordering their execution as a punishment,” read the statement.
According to an AFP tally, of the 100 people executed this year, 59 were individuals convicted of drug-related crimes, 43 of whom were foreign nationals. The executions were slammed by advocacy groups. Saudi authorities resumed executions for drug-related offences at the end of 2022 after a hiatus of nearly three years.
According to an earlier AFP tally, at least 338 people were executed last year — nearly twice the 2023 figure of 170, and far higher than the previous known record of 196 in 2022.
Last month, rights group Amnesty International criticised what it called an “alarming surge” in the use of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia following a string of executions linked to “drug-related crimes”.
Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s most prolific users of the death penalty. The kingdom, notorious for beheadings, drew a wave of condemnation from around the world when it executed 81 people in a single day in March 2022.
The country, under de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is spending big on tourist infrastructure and top sports events such as the 2034 World Cup as it tries to diversify its oil-reliant economy.
But activists say the kingdom’s continued embrace of capital punishment undermines the image of a more open, tolerant society that is central to Prince Mohammed’s Vision 2030 reform agenda.
The Saudi authorities say the death penalty is necessary to maintain public order and is only used after all avenues for appeal have been exhausted.
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