Sentenced as Children: Saudi Arabia’s Use of the Death Penalty Against Minors

In 2024, Saudi Arabia executed 345 people, the highest number recorded in the country in 30 years and more than double the 2023 total . This alarming figure highlights the broader pattern of judicial abuse and repression in the kingdom. Despite frequent claims of reform, Saudi Arabia’s justice system remains harsh and opaque, targeting even[…]

The Persistent Use of the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has put in practice repressive measures that have allowed for the imprisonment of dissidents, arbitrary detentions, and abuses of prisoners. Among the inhumane practices, the death penalty is still a matter of concern, with 198 executions this year, the highest number since 1990 according to Amnesty International. Despite repeated promises to limit the[…]

ADHRB at #HCR57: We raise concerns about the doubling rate of executions in Saudi Arabia

On Oct 1st, 2024, ADHRB delivered an intervention at the United Nation Human Rights Council session 57 under item 5 during the General Debate. ADHRB raised concerns about the doubling rate of executions in Saudi Arabia.     We express deep concern regarding the doubling rate of executions carried out in Saudi Arabia this year,[…]

Profile in Persecution: Jalal Labbad

Currently, Jalal Labbad is sentenced to death for crimes committed when he was a juvenile.  Jalal is a young man who represents critical issues concerning human rights, legal fairness and the treatment of religious minorities in Saudi Arabia. His case embodies the harsh and unjust application of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.   Jalal[…]

Saudi Arabia’s Continued Use of the Death Penalty on Minors: Unveiling Legal Loopholes and Human Rights Violations

In April 2024, the Court of Appeal in Saudi Arabia approved two death sentences for Yousif Al-Manasif and Ali Al-Mubaiouq, both Saudi nationals, who were accused of protest-related crimes allegedly committed as children. The two men were arrested between April 2017 and January 2018 for protesting against the government and ‘betraying the homeland’, a time[…]