Overview
- Reprieve reports at least 347 people executed this year in Saudi Arabia, surpassing last year’s 345 and marking a second consecutive annual record.
- About two thirds of those put to death were convicted of non-lethal drug offenses, with 96 cases linked solely to hashish or cannabis.
- More than half of those executed were foreign nationals, with the latest cases including two Pakistani prisoners convicted on drug charges.
- UN special rapporteur Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz called for an immediate halt to executions and urged safeguards such as effective legal aid, consular access, family notification, return of remains, and publication of full data.
- Rights groups allege torture and forced confessions are widespread, families often receive no prior notice or bodies, methods are undisclosed, and Saudi authorities did not respond to requests for comment.