Two-Thirds Executed for Drug Offenses
Teenagers at Time of Arrest Also Among Those Executed
Saudi Arabia has carried out executions for 347 individuals this year, breaking its all-time record for the second consecutive year.
The BBC reported on the 21st (local time), citing the human rights group Reprieve, that Saudi Arabia recently executed two Pakistani nationals who had been convicted of drug offenses, bringing the total number of executions this year to 347. This surpasses last year's previous record of 345 executions.
The main reason for the surge in executions is the Saudi royal family's declaration of a "war on drugs." Two-thirds of those executed this year were involved in drug-related offenses, and more than half of them were foreign nationals.
Those executed also included people who had engaged in anti-government activities or were teenagers at the time of their arrest. According to Reprieve, Abdullah al-Derazi and Jalal al-Abbad were arrested during protests against the Saudi government's suppression of Shia Muslims in 2011-2012 and were executed this year. Journalist Turki al-Jasser, who was arrested in 2018, was also executed in June this year.
Reprieve stated, "The families of those executed are not notified in advance. They do not receive the bodies and are not even informed of the burial locations."
Although the international community, including the United Nations, has pointed out that these actions do not meet international norms and standards, the Saudi government remains unmoved. In response to concerns raised by a UN special rapporteur in January, the government claimed, "Executions are carried out only in extremely limited circumstances for the most serious crimes."
The BBC noted that although Saudi Arabia has implemented various open policies since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came to power, the country's human rights situation remains among the worst.
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