An inglorious record in Saudi Arabia. Record number of executions

In Saudi Arabia, 340 people have been executed since the beginning of 2025, according to an analysis by AFP based on official announcements. This is the highest number of executions in this country in a single year.

So far, the record year in this respect was 2024, when 338 people were executed. According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, which has been monitoring executions carried out in Saudi Arabia since the early 1990s, in 2024, only China and Iran had more of them.

The record was broken on Monday, when the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) published a statement from the Ministry of Interior informing about the execution in Mecca of three Saudis convicted of the murder of a Sudanese citizen.

According to experts, the growing number of executions in the country is related to the fight against drugs that started in 2023. UN data shows that Saudi Arabia is the only major market for Captagon, a drug that improves concentration and is prescribed to people with ADHD or depression. This highly addictive drug is very popular in the Middle East – emphasized AFP. According to the American station ABC News, in recent years it has come to light that Captagon was often used by terrorists from the jihadist organization Islamic State (IS).

Since the beginning of 2025, 232 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia for drug-related crimes. Most of them (182) were foreigners, who are employed in large numbers in the country on construction sites, in the service sector and as domestic help.

Human rights defenders note that the use of the death penalty is contrary to the image of Saudi Arabia promoted by Riyadh as a tolerant and modern country.him. However, the authorities claim that the death penalty is necessary to maintain public order and is applied only after all appeals have been exhausted. (PAP)

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