World Peace

How many owners of X accounts or X peaceful dissents were executed by Saudi Arabia?

GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, Saudi Arabia reached a historic and widely condemned milestone, carrying out the highest number of executions in its history. Rights groups have directly linked a portion of these to peaceful dissent and online expression on platforms like X. 

Summary of Executions (2025 Data)

Total Executions: As of late December 2025, tallies from Agence France-Presse (AFP) and human rights group Reprieve report between 340 and 347 people have been executed. This marks the second consecutive year the kingdom has broken its own annual execution record.

For Political/Peaceful Dissent: International watchdogs report that at least 35 individuals were executed for “political or arbitrary reasons” in the first ten months of 2025 alone. This category specifically includes people punished for posts on social media (such as X) or for expressing peaceful opinions. 

Key Cases Linked to Online Activity

Several high-profile cases in 2025 specifically highlight the targeting of individuals for their digital expression:

Turki al-Jasser: In June 2025, Saudi journalist Turki al-Jasser was executed after seven years of arbitrary detention. He was accused of operating an anonymous X account (“Kashkool”) that reported on alleged corruption and human rights abuses by the Saudi royal family.

Abdullah al-Shamri: A Saudi political analyst specializing in Türkiye, he was executed in early 2024, but his case remains a focal point for rights groups in 2025 regarding the “weaponization” of the justice system against dissidents.

Mohammed al-Ghamdi: While his execution status is heavily monitored, he was previously sentenced to death for tweets and social media activity, an act described by rights groups as a “terrifying” use of the death penalty to crush dissent.

Youthful Protesters: In 2025, the kingdom also executed Jalal Labbad and Abdullah al-Derazi for participating in peaceful protests when they were minors (aged 15 and 17, respectively). 

Broader Context of 2025 Executions

While dissent-related executions are a primary concern for political freedom, they occur within a broader surge of capital punishment:

Drug-Related Offenses: Approximately 232 of the 2025 executions were for drug-related crimes, following the reversal of a previous moratorium.

Foreign Nationals: Over half of those executed in 2025 were foreign nationals, many of whom faced “grossly unfair trials” without adequate legal representation.”

Explain: “Over half of those executed in 2025 were foreign nationals”

GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, Saudi Arabia executed a record-breaking total of approximately 347 people. Over half of these individuals were foreign nationals, a trend largely driven by the kingdom’s intensified “war on drugs”. 

The high proportion of foreign nationals among those executed is attributed to several key factors: 

Drug-Related Offenses: The majority of 2025 executions—roughly 232 cases—were for non-violent drug offenses, such as smuggling or possession. Foreign nationals are disproportionately represented in these cases, often making up 75% of drug-related executions.

Vulnerability of Migrant Workers: Many of those executed were low-income migrant workers from countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Nigeria. Rights groups report that these individuals are often coerced into carrying packages or lack the financial resources to navigate the Saudi legal system.

Legal and Procedural Barriers: Foreign defendants frequently face unfair trials characterized by a lack of consular support, language barriers, and limited or no access to legal representation. Organizations like Amnesty International have documented cases of “confessions” obtained through torture or from defendants who could not read the documents they were signing.

Policy Reversal: In late 2022, Saudi Arabia ended a three-year moratorium on the death penalty for drug crimes. By 2025, this reversal resulted in a “bloodiest year” of executions, with foreign nationals bearing the brunt of the crackdown despite international law mandating the death penalty only for “most serious crimes” involving intentional killing.”

Tell me more about specific countries from which foreign nationals were executed

GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, over 56% of the individuals executed in Saudi Arabia were foreign nationals. The vast majority of these cases involved non-lethal, drug-related offenses following the lifting of a moratorium on such executions. 

Specific countries with the highest number of nationals executed include:

Somalia: 38 individuals executed as of October 2025.

Ethiopia: 30 individuals executed as of October 2025.

Pakistan: 23 individuals executed by October 2025, with several more in late December 2025 for drug-related crimes.

Egypt: At least 16 individuals executed by October 2025. High-profile cases included fisherman Issam Ahmed (also known as Issam al-Shazly), who was put to death in December 2025 despite international pleas regarding a “grossly unfair trial” and alleged torture.

Afghanistan: 12 individuals executed as of October 2025.

Syria: Frequently cited among the top groups of foreign nationals executed for drug offenses.

Jordan: Includes cases such as a Jordanian national sentenced to death alongside 32 Egyptians on drug charges.

Nigeria: Multiple nationals executed or on death row for drug-related offenses. 

Additional countries with nationals reportedly on death row or at imminent risk in 2025 include India (at least 12 people), Kenya, Sudan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Human rights groups emphasize that these individuals are often vulnerable migrant workers—such as laborers and porters—who lack legal representation and frequently face trials in a language they do not understand.”

Explain: “Over half of those executed in 2025 were foreign nationals”

GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, Saudi Arabia executed a record-breaking total of approximately 347 people. Over half of these individuals were foreign nationals, a trend largely driven by the kingdom’s intensified “war on drugs”. 

The high proportion of foreign nationals among those executed is attributed to several key factors: 

Drug-Related Offenses: The majority of 2025 executions—roughly 232 cases—were for non-violent drug offenses, such as smuggling or possession. Foreign nationals are disproportionately represented in these cases, often making up 75% of drug-related executions.

Vulnerability of Migrant Workers: Many of those executed were low-income migrant workers from countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Nigeria. Rights groups report that these individuals are often coerced into carrying packages or lack the financial resources to navigate the Saudi legal system.

Legal and Procedural Barriers: Foreign defendants frequently face unfair trials characterized by a lack of consular support, language barriers, and limited or no access to legal representation. Organizations like Amnesty International have documented cases of “confessions” obtained through torture or from defendants who could not read the documents they were signing.

Policy Reversal: In late 2022, Saudi Arabia ended a three-year moratorium on the death penalty for drug crimes. By 2025, this reversal resulted in a “bloodiest year” of executions, with foreign nationals bearing the brunt of the crackdown despite international law mandating the death penalty only for “most serious crimes” involving intentional killing.”

What are the implications of Saudi Arabia’s executions?

GoogleAI Mode: “The record-breaking surge in executions in 2025—reaching at least 347 individuals—has significant legal, social, and geopolitical implications. 

1. Violation of International Standards

The United Nations and human rights organizations have condemned the executions as a “mockery of the human rights system”. 

Non-Violent Crimes: Approximately two-thirds of those executed were convicted for non-lethal, non-violent offenses, primarily drug-related charges. UN standards mandate that the death penalty be reserved only for the “most serious crimes” involving intentional killing.

Child Defendants: In 2025, Saudi Arabia resumed executing individuals for offenses allegedly committed while they were minors, directly reneging on previous Royal Decrees and international treaties like the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

2. Targeting of Vulnerable Populations

The execution campaign has disproportionately affected those with the least social and legal protection. 

Foreign Nationals: Over half of those executed in 2025 were migrant workers from countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, and Pakistan. These individuals often face “grossly unfair trials,” lacking access to legal representation or translators.

Systemic Brutality: Rights groups describe a “mechanical” execution process characterized by forced confessions obtained through torture and a lack of transparency; families are often not notified in advance or provided with the body for burial. 

3. Suppression of Freedom of Expression

Authorities are increasingly “weaponizing” the death penalty to silence critics. 

Dissidents and Journalists: High-profile executions, such as that of journalist Turki al-Jasser in June 2025, serve as a “chilling attack” on press freedom.

Instilling Fear: Critics argue the executions are designed to instill fear and signal zero tolerance for any behavior deemed unacceptable by the state, including peaceful protest or online dissent. 

4. Impact on Global Reputation (Vision 2030)

The spike in executions creates a “stark contradiction” between the kingdom’s modernized global image and its domestic reality. 

Image Whitewashing: While Saudi Arabia hosts high-profile international sporting and entertainment events to project an open society, rights groups argue these events provide “cover” for the execution of activists and minors.

Investor Relations: Despite the “abysmal” rights record, activists note there has been little diplomatic cost so far, as international partnerships and investments under Vision 2030 continue with few repercussions.”

If IHRL and Quranic human rights were applied, what are Saudi Arabia’s violations regarding executions?

GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, Saudi Arabia’s record-breaking execution of approximately 347 people represents a dual violation of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and established Quranic principles regarding the sanctity of life and justice. 

1. Violations of International Human Rights Law (IHRL)

Threshold of “Most Serious Crimes”: IHRL mandates that the death penalty be reserved only for crimes involving intentional killing. In 2025, approximately two-thirds of Saudi executions were for non-lethal, drug-related offenses, which the UN characterizes as an “arbitrary deprivation of life”.

Execution of Minors: International law (notably the Convention on the Rights of the Child) absolutely prohibits the death penalty for offenses committed by those under 18. In 2025, Saudi Arabia executed at least two such individuals, Jalal Labbad and Abdullah al-Derazi, invalidating its claims to have ended this practice.

Lack of Fair Trial and Due Process: Systematic failures in 2025 included the use of torture-tainted confessions, denial of legal representation, and failure to provide consular access to foreign nationals, who made up over half of those executed.

Targeting Peaceful Dissent: The execution of journalist Turki al-Jasser in June 2025 following years of enforced disappearance violates the right to freedom of expression and protections against extrajudicial killings. 

2. Violations of Quranic Human Rights Principles

While Saudi authorities often cite Sharia as justification, many of their 2025 practices contradict the “dual shield” of Quranic ethics:

The Sanctity of Life: The Quran states that taking a life is forbidden except for “just cause” (Surah 6:151). Scholars argue that executing drug mules or peaceful dissidents does not meet the Quranic standard of justice and constitutes “spreading corruption on earth” (fitna) by the state itself.

Abuse of Discretionary Sentencing (Ta’zir): Most of the 2025 executions utilized Ta’zir, a system where judges have wide discretion to impose death for crimes not explicitly mandated in the Quran (like drug offenses or social media posts). This “weaponization” of discretion to bypass stringent Quranic evidentiary requirements is viewed as an ethical violation.

Discouragement of Capital Punishment: The Quran consistently prioritizes forgiveness and compensation (Diyya) over execution, particularly in cases of Qisas (retribution). The kingdom’s record-high volume of state-led executions in 2025 is seen as a departure from the Quranic preference for mercy.

Prohibition of Torture: Quranic principles mandate dignity for all humans. The use of torture to extract confessions—a widely reported practice in 2025—is strictly prohibited under Islamic jurisprudence.”

What actions are being taken by UN experts and human rights groups to hold Saudi Arabia accountable?

GoogleAI Mode: “In 2025, UN experts and international human rights groups have intensified their efforts to address Saudi Arabia’s record-breaking execution surge through high-level diplomatic pressure, joint statements, and formal reviews.

1. Diplomatic and Public Advocacy

Urgent Appeals: UN Special Rapporteurs—including those focused on extrajudicial killings, torture, and freedom of expression—issued multiple statements in 2025 urging an immediate halt to planned executions. This included a June 2025 demand to stop the execution of 26 Egyptian nationals on drug-related charges.

Joint NGO Coalitions: Major groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Reprieve, and the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) issued a rare joint statement in November 2025. They condemned the “bloodiest year” in the kingdom’s history and demanded a full moratorium.

Conditioning State Visits: During Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s diplomatic visits in late 2025, NGOs successfully lobbied international partners to prioritize human rights in their agendas, highlighting the contradiction between Saudi Arabia’s “modernizing” image and its domestic execution record. 

2. Monitoring and Reporting

Shadow Reporting: Human rights groups published comprehensive reports in 2025 exposing the kingdom’s “weaponization” of discretionary sentencing (Ta’zir) and the lifting of the moratorium on drug-related executions.

Tracking Child Offenders: Groups like Reprieve and ESOHR tracked and publicized the cases of child defendants, specifically highlighting the October 2025 execution of Abdullah al-Derazi for crimes committed as a minor.

Algorithmic and Data Collection: Groups now provide daily tallies based on official Saudi Press Agency reports, noting that over two-thirds of 2025 executions were for non-lethal offenses. 

3. Institutional Accountability

Universal Periodic Review (UPR): In its first formal review at the UN Human Rights Council since 2018, Saudi Arabia faced direct critique from dozens of countries regarding its execution rates and the lack of a legal definition of “terrorism”.

UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention: This body issued formal legal opinions in 2025 declaring the detention of several dissidents (like Youssef al-Manasif) as arbitrary and illegal under international law, calling for their immediate release.

Formal Communication: UN experts sent an official communication to Saudi authorities in January 2025 challenging the lack of legal representation for foreign nationals. The Saudi government responded in writing, though activists noted the reply largely dismissed international concerns.”