Overview
- Saudi Arabia executed 180 people between January and June 2025, putting this year on course to exceed last year’s total of 345 deaths.
- Nonviolent drug convictions accounted for roughly 120 of these cases under the kingdom’s stringent narcotics legislation.
- Migrant workers comprised about three-quarters of those facing drug-related death sentences and frequently lacked effective legal counsel and interpretation services.
- Riyadh lifted a three-year moratorium on drug-related capital punishment late in 2023 without explanation, contradicting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vow to restrict executions to homicide.
- Amnesty International and Reprieve have documented systemic unfair trial practices and are urging Saudi Arabia to halt its execution surge and honor its international human rights commitments.