Executions in Saudi Arabia almost doubled during the reigns of King Salman and his son Mohammed, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, according to two human rights organizations.
The number of executions in the Gulf monarchy has risen from an average of 70.8 per year between 2010 and 2014 to 129.5 per year since the current king came to power in 2015, according to a report by the British organization Reprieve and published on Tuesday the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR).
In all, the current power has handed down more than 1,000 death sentences, according to these NGOs, who claim to have cross-checked official figures with investigations and interviews with lawyers, family members and activists.
The report mentions 147 executions last year, a tally that matches AFP’s tally from government announcements.
Last March, Saudi Arabia, one of the countries with the highest use of the death penalty, announced the execution of 81 people in a single day for terrorism-related crimes, sparking an international outcry.
The ultra-conservative kingdom has undergone major reforms under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in recent years.
However, according to human rights activists, these reforms have been accompanied by a relentless crackdown on political dissent.
Saudi’s ‘death penalty machine’ crushes children, protesters, vulnerable female servants, ignorant drug mules and people whose only ‘crime’ is possessing banned books or speaking to foreign journalists,” said Maya Foa, director of Reprieve.
According to the report, the bloodiest six years of executions in recent history have occurred under the current regime.
At least 15 people have been executed since 2013 for crimes committed when they were minors.
Also according to the same source, 31 women were executed between 2010 and 2021, including 23 foreigners and 13 domestic workers.
The 58-page report also speaks of “systemic” torture and procedural violations, including instances of unfair trials and torture of children.