Saudi Arabia executes over 300 prisoners in 2024 at unprecedented rate

In 2024, Saudi Arabia has seen a dramatic increase in executions, reaching a record total of 303 as of December. This unprecedented figure comes after a series of recent executions, including four announced on December 3. The Gulf monarchy, already criticized for its high execution rates, had executed 200 individuals by the end of September, highlighting a surge in executions in the last quarter of the year. According to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia ranked third in the world for executions in 2023, trailing only China and Iran. Prior to this year, the highest annual execution count was 196 in 2022. This drastic rise in executions has garnered international condemnation. Taha al-Hajji, the legal director of the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR), criticized the government's actions as 'incomprehensible and inexplicable,' pointing to the accelerated pace of killings. Human rights organizations have called attention to the broader landscape of repression in Saudi Arabia, which includes crackdowns on free speech and the imprisonment of artists and activists. Recently, a Saudi artist, Mohammed al-Hazza, was sentenced to over two decades in prison for political cartoons that criticized the government. Under the rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the judiciary has increasingly targeted individuals for expression on social media, often labeling their actions as terrorism-related. Cases of women advocating for rights, such as Manahel al-Otaibi, who was sentenced to 11 years for promoting female empowerment online, further illustrate the regressive climate surrounding human rights in the country. Despite the continued executions and suppression of dissent, the Saudi government has attempted to project an image of reform, especially regarding women's rights and gender equality. Saudi Arabia's recent appointment to chair a UN committee on gender equality has drawn ire from human rights advocates, who argue that a nation with such a notorious track record on women's rights should not hold such a position. Critics argue that the monarchy's reforms are superficial and fail to address systemic issues. Laws enacted in 2022 that ostensibly improve women's status still require female consent from a male guardian for marriage and reinforce traditional gender roles, undermining any claims of genuine progress. The ongoing human rights abuses, alongside the soaring execution rates, present a stark contrast to the international image Saudi Arabia seeks to project as a modern and reformed nation.