Saudi Arabia Executes Seven People in a Single Day

On Wednesday, October 23, Saudi Arabia executed seven individuals, including five for drug trafficking, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

This brings the total number of executions in the kingdom this year to 236, as reported by AFP based on official statements.

The executed individuals—Yahya Lutfullah, Ali Azib, Ahmed Ali, and Salem Nahari—were Yemeni citizens executed in the southern province of Asir for smuggling hashish into the country, as stated by the interior ministry via SPA.

Additionally, a Pakistani man was executed for drug trafficking, raising the number of executions for drug-related offenses this year to 71.

Saudi Arabia has become a significant market for captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine mainly produced in Syria and Lebanon. Over the past year, the kingdom has intensified its anti-drug initiatives, resulting in numerous raids and arrests.

Since the moratorium on the death penalty for drug offenses was lifted two years ago, executions for drug trafficking have increased. On the same day, two Saudi nationals were also executed for murder.

Amnesty International reports that Saudi Arabia ranked third in the world for the highest number of executions in 2023, following China and Iran.

The kingdom’s use of the death penalty has drawn consistent criticism from human rights organizations, which argue that it is excessive and contradicts Saudi Arabia’s efforts to modernize its international image.

The Saudi government defends capital punishment, asserting that it is crucial for public order and that sentences are only carried out after all appeals have been exhausted.