Saudi Arabia has executed 17 individuals in just three days, according to reports from state media on Monday the country’s fastest rate of capital punishment since March 2022, when 81 people were executed in a single day.
The Saudi Press Agency confirmed that two Saudi nationals were executed on Monday for what were described as “terrorist crimes.” This came on the heels of 15 other executions over the weekend, mostly involving foreign nationals convicted of drug-related offenses.
Thirteen of them were convicted of smuggling hashish, and one was executed for trafficking cocaine.
This brings the total number of executions in the kingdom so far this year to 239.
The figure includes 161 executions for drug offences and 136 foreign nationals, based on an AFP tally of official data.
If the current trend continues, Saudi Arabia could surpass its 2023 record of 338 executions, the highest since public tracking began in the early 1990s.
Human rights organisations have expressed deep concern.
Jeed Basyouni of Reprieve noted that most of the recent executions involved foreign nationals and related to hashish smuggling.
She described the surge as alarming, especially at a time when many countries are moving toward decriminalising cannabis-related offences.
Analysts link the spike in executions to Saudi Arabia’s intensified “war on drugs,” which began in 2023. Many of those now being executed were arrested shortly after the campaign launched and have since completed legal processes.
After a three-year moratorium on executions for drug-related crimes, Saudi Arabia resumed the practice in late 2022.
Authorities insist the death penalty is carried out only after all appeals are exhausted and argue it serves as a deterrent to crime and helps maintain national security.
However, activists argue that the growing use of capital punishment contradicts the kingdom’s efforts to project a modern and progressive image under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform programme.