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The undersigned organizations are extremely concerned for the lives of hundreds of prisoners threatened with execution in Saudi Arabia on drug charges, including 33 Egyptians in one ward of Tabuk prison; in light of a sharp increase in the number of sentences carried out since the beginning of 2024 accompanied by alarming information from inside the prisons.
According to the information, Tabuk Prison is experiencing a state of anxiety and terror amongst those who were sentenced to death on drug-related charges, most of whom are Egyptian citizens. The escalating tension comes after the execution of 8 prisoners inside this penitentiary on similar charges; as the number of executions on drug-related charges alone in various regions from the beginning of 2024 until September 12th reached 42 people, 3 of whom were Egyptian citizens.
Due to the lack of transparency in the Saudi government’s handling of the 8 executions, tracking some of the cases confirmed common violations suffered by many of the prisoners, including: the absence of the Egyptian consulate or embassy, an inaccessibility to adequate self-defense, the failure to appoint legal council, a refusal to effectively plead their defense before the court, as well as physical torture and misconduct. According to data published by the Interior Ministry, the individuals whose sentences were carried out were of the following nationalities: Saudi, Egyptian, Syrian, Jordanian, Pakistani, Afghan, Ethiopian, Sudanese, Yemeni and Nigerian.
Despite there being no official figures published on the number of people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, the data does indicate that there are hundreds of drug-related sentences for prisoners of different nationalities in the country’s prison system. The lack of transparency in the formal handling of these cases, the lack of justice served, the lack of credibility within the judicial system, and the fear of reprisals for speaking out prevents prisoners from relaying their suffering.
The signatory organizations believe that the gruesome return to the execution of death sentences on drug- related charges came after petulant capriciousness impacted the official handling of the matter, as Saudi Arabia suspended the execution of death sentences on drug-related charges from January 2020 until November 2022 without any formal announcement. In January 2021, the head of the official Human Rights Commission stated that this moratorium provided another opportunity to those convicted of non-violent charges. In March 2022, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that executions were now limited to murder.
Nevertheless, in November 2022, Saudi Arabia returned to executing death sentences without any justifiable reason, executing 20 people on drug-related charges in one month alone. Despite a 9-month moratorium from August 2023 to May 2024, Saudi Arabia resumed executions for these types of charges again afterwards. According to these organizations, the first eight months of 2024 saw a 72 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, with Saudi Arabia carrying out 167 executions as of the end of August. These organizations believe that the acceleration of executions in recent months, and the state of terror experienced by those convicted on drug-related charges, including dozens of Egyptians, reflect not only a lack of confidence in official pledges but also a blatant violation of international law, which prohibits executions on charges that are not severe and are within the narrowest of terms.
The undersigned organizations believe that Saudi Arabia should immediately return to its previously enacted moratorium on executions of drug-related charges, and amend its laws formally to comply with requirements under international law. They also emphasize that the resulting uncertainty and psychological torture are the responsibility of the Saudi government as well as the governments of the countries whose citizens are executed, including Egypt.
Signatory Organizations:
- ALQST For Human Rights
- Egyptian Human Rights Forum
- Sinai Foundation for Human Rights
- European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR)
- Law and Democracy Support Foundation
- Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia
- Egyptian Front For Human Rights
- Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms
- Refugees Platform in Egypt
- Egypt Wide For Human Rights
- Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
- Middle East Democracy Center
- Tunisian Coalition to End the Death Penalty
- Tunisian Organisation Against Torture in Tunisia
- World Organisation Against Torture
- Association For Freedom of Thought and Expression
- Tunisian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
- Organisation Contre la Torture en Tunisie
- Association Justice et Misericorde (Liban)
- Ensemble contre la peine de mort (ECPM)
- Forum marocain pour la vérité et la justice
- ACAT France
- ACAT Ghana
- The Advocates for Human Rights
- Rescue alternatives Liberia
- Harm Reduction International
