Saudi Arabia on 'relentless killing spree,' NGO says

Authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have executed at least 100 people in 2023, according to human rights watchdog Amnesty International.

In a statement on Friday, the activists said they documented several cases in which people had been sentenced to death for social media posts or drug-related offenses in "grossly unfair trials that fell far short of international human rights standards."

"The authorities' relentless killing spree raises serious fears for the lives of young men on death row who were under 18 at the time of the crimes," Amnesty said.

Brutal crackdown on dissent

In August, a retired school teacher, Mohammed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, was sentenced to death over his social media activity. Charges against him included "betraying his religion," "disturbing the security of society," and "conspiring against the government."

The executions are widely seen as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's efforts to eradicate dissenting voices in the kingdom. 

Executions skyrocket under Mohammed bin Salman

The crown prince, commonly known as MbS, who has been the de-facto ruler of the absolute monarchy since 2015, has tried to raise his country's profile globally and to portray himself as a modernizer.

He has promised to cut the use of death penalty for non-violent crimes, but the annual number of executions has almost doubled in the time of his rule.

"The concept of modernization practiced by MbS is selective and subject to political moods," Ali Adubisi, director of human rights organization ESOHR Director, told DW earlier this year. "The executions are an essential pillar of MbS' repressive behavior through which he practices intimidation against his people to ensure as much silence as possible."

A report published earlier this year said that 129 people have been killed on average each year since 2015. In 2022, authorities executed 196 people — the highest number in 30 years, according to Amnesty International.

Little international consequences

Despite its dire human rights record, Saudi Arabia has not had to face any serious sanctions on the stage of world politics.

The country has leveraged its enormous wealth and natural resources, and most executions don't attract international media attention.

In 2018, the brutal murder of US-Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul sent shockwaves around the globe. The crown prince, who was reportedly aware of the murder plot, has been granted immunity by the US.

fg/nm (AFP, EFE, DW sources)