How many convicts has Saudi Arabia executed in a decade?

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) executed 81 individuals over terrorism-related charges on March 13, 2022, sparking criticism from human rights activists. Out of 81 men, 73 were Saudi nationals, 7 were Yemenis and 1 was a Syrian national.

37 convicts out of 81 included men found guilty in a single case for attemps to assasinate security officers and target police stations and convoys, Al Jazeera reported.

Flag of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Photo: AFP

Saudi Press Agency in an official statement said that all the convicts had links to the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda, Yemen’s Houthi rebels and other terrorist organisations. The Saudi Press Agency in its statement also said that the accused were provided with the right to attorney and were also guaranteed their full rights under Saudi law during the judicial process.

The country comes in the category of nations with high executions rates like China, Iran, Egypt, Iraq and US.

HOW SAUDI ARABIA'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OPERATES

Saudi Arabia’s criminal justice system operates on Islamic Shariah Law, reflecting the state sanctioned interpretation of Islam. The Saudi judiciary can impose death penalty as per three categories of criminal offence as per the Sharia law. The three are:

• Hudud: it is the fixed punishment for specific crimes. For example, for crimes like murder, apostasy, sodomy, terrorism, a convict can be sentenced to capital punishment but the sentence is based on evidence. The evidence has to be based purely on confession.
• Qisas: it is the eye-for-an-eye retaliatory punishments. The Qisas crimes include murders. The family of the dead can either claim death penalty for the accused or can ask for blood money from the perpetrator.
• Tazir: is the general category for crimes. It includes crimes defined as per the national regulations which can lead to death penalty for accused. For example, drug trafficking.

EXECUTIONS IN THE LAST DECADE

Photo: Getty Images

• Saudi Arabia in 2021 executed 67 people.
• In 2020, the country executed 27 people. The number is less because of the Covid-induced lockdowns.
• In 2019, the Kingdom executed 184 people. Out of these, 37 were from the minority Shia community. All the people were executed for terrorism-related crimes.
• In 2018, 149 convicts were executed.
• In 2017 too, 149 people were executed.
• In 2016, Saudi Arabia executed 154 people. Out of these, 47 were executed in early January, which also included the execution of renowned Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr.
• In 2015, 158 people were executed. Amnesty International criticised this high rate of killing by the Saudi authorities. The average of executions was 1 person every two days.
• In 2014, 90 convicts were executed.
• In 2013, 79 people were executed.
• In 2012 too, 79 convicts were executed.

IRAN DISTANCES ITSELF FROM SAUDI ARABIA AFTER 81 EXECUTIONS THIS YEAR

Iran has temporarily suspended direct talks with Saudi Arabia, which was slated to be held on Wednesday, March 16, and was to be hosted by Baghdad. On Sunday, Nour News, affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said that Iran has decided to stall Wednesday's talks without giving any reason.

The talks would have been the fifth round of talks in Turkey’s Antalya hosted by Baghdad.

Tehran condemned the mass execution of 81 people, which also included 41 Shia Muslims.