Overview

• The Saudi Press Agency reported that 15 people were executed for drug offenses over the weekend and two Saudi citizens were put to death on terrorism charges.
• An AFP tally shows 239 executions so far in 2025, including 161 for narcotics offenses and 136 involving foreign nationals.
• At this rate, the kingdom is poised to exceed 2024’s record of 345 executions, marking its highest annual figure in decades.
• Amnesty International and Reprieve have condemned the surge as disproportionate and criticized the lack of transparency in the judicial process.
• The spike in capital punishments follows the late-2022 reinstatement of the death penalty for drug crimes under an intensified 2023 “war on drugs.”