AFP – October 24, 2024
RIYADH: On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia executed seven individuals, including five for drug trafficking, as reported by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA). This brings the total number of executions in the kingdom for the year to 236.
Among those executed were four Yemeni nationals—Yahya Lutfullah, Ali Azib, Ahmed Ali, and Salem Nahari—who were put to death in the southern province of Asir for smuggling hashish into the country. Additionally, a Pakistani man was executed for drug trafficking, marking 71 executions related to this crime in 2024.
Saudi Arabia has seen a surge in the use of captagon, an addictive amphetamine that has been flooding in from war-torn Syria and Lebanon. In response, the government launched a high-profile anti-drug campaign last year, resulting in numerous raids and arrests. The execution of drug traffickers has increased since the end of a moratorium on death penalties for such cases two years ago.
The interior ministry also confirmed the execution of two Saudi nationals for murder on the same day.
According to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia had the third-highest number of executions globally in 2023, following China and Iran. Human rights organizations have frequently criticized the country’s use of the death penalty, arguing that it is excessive and inconsistent with its attempts to project a more modern image internationally. The Saudi government maintains that the death penalty is essential for maintaining public order and is only enforced after all legal avenues have been exhausted.
