Saudi Arabia has surpassed its record for the number of executions carried out annually for a second consecutive year, with at least 347 individuals put to death in 2025. This figure, reported by the UK-based campaign group Reprieve, marks a sharp increase from last year's total of 345, making this the bloodiest year of executions in the kingdom since monitoring began.
Among the latest executions were two Pakistani nationals convicted of drug-related offenses, part of a larger trend that primarily involves foreigners and non-violent drug convictions. As stated by Reprieve, around two-thirds of those executed were found guilty of non-lethal drug-related crimes, which, according to the UN, run counter to international norms.
Notably, the year has also seen the execution of a journalist and two minors who were arrested for expressing dissent during protests. Saudi Arabia is operating with complete impunity now, said Jeed Basyouni, Reprieve's head of death penalty for the Middle East and North Africa, highlighting the systemic torture and forced confessions endemic within the Saudi criminal justice system.
Despite international condemnation, including calls for an immediate moratorium on executions by the UN's special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, the Saudi authorities maintain their stance. In response to inquiries about the rising execution rates, the authorities have remained silent, prompting criticism from human rights advocates.
The de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has introduced social reforms, yet the country remains notorious for severe human rights violations. Human Rights Watch has reported that only China and Iran have conducted more executions in recent years. As the world watches, the situation in Saudi Arabia calls into question the broader implications of its evolving policies toward human rights and justice.
