What's Behind Saudi Arabia's Surge in Executions?

"Saudi Arabia has been on a killing spree. In August, authorities beheaded Jalal Labbad, a young Shiite man who was a minor at the time of some of the charges against him. In June, the government executed Turki Al Jasser, a blogger who was critical of the government. And earlier this year, a Saudi woman named Maryam Al-Mutaib was put to death for witchcraft, sorcery, and the kidnapping of three newborns whom she later raised as her own."

"The surge in executions comes as a clear contradiction to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's promise, in his 2022 interview with The Atlantic, to "get rid of" the death penalty except for cases where it is mandated under Shariah law. Instead, the Crown Prince is now using Saudi Arabia's repressive judiciary system to silence dissent and spread fear far more aggressively than even his ousted predecessor, Mohammad bin Naif."

Saudi authorities have beheaded more than 283 people since the start of the year, primarily on charges of terrorism, treason, and drug offenses. In 2024, 345 executions made that year the deadliest in decades, averaging one execution every 25 hours. Recent high-profile cases include Jalal Labbad, Turki Al Jasser, and Maryam Al-Mutaib. The execution surge contradicts Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's 2022 pledge to "get rid of" the death penalty except where Shariah mandates it. The judiciary is being used to silence dissent and spread fear, and some executions, such as that of Abdullah Al Shamri, appear bewildering to many Saudis.

Read at The Nation