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13h ago

Saudi Arabia’s June Execution Surge Draws Human Rights Outcry

Rights groups say executing foreign nationals for drug offences undercuts Saudi Arabia’s stated reform agenda by revealing a pattern of silencing dissent.

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Hinrichtungsplatz und Religionspolizeibehörde in Riad (Archivbild)
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Overview

  • Riyadh has executed 180 people in 2025, including 46 in June, marking a rise to more than one execution per day last month.
  • Approximately 66 percent of 2025’s executions were for drug offences despite international law norms opposing capital punishment for such crimes.
  • Three quarters of those sentenced to death for drug offences are foreign nationals, primarily from Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt and Somalia.
  • Since 2014, Saudi Arabia has carried out about 1,800 executions, with last year’s 345 deaths representing the highest annual figure in over three decades.
  • Human rights advocates warn that the execution surge threatens the kingdom’s reform efforts and casts doubt on its preparations to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.