Saudi Arabia executed seven individuals on Wednesday, October 23, including five for drug trafficking, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA). This brings the total number of executions in the kingdom this year to 236, based on an AFP tally of official reports.
Among those executed were Yemeni nationals Yahya Lutfullah, Ali Azib, Ahmed Ali, and Salem Nahari, who were sentenced for smuggling hashish into the southern province of Asir, as announced by the interior ministry through SPA. Additionally, a Pakistani man was executed in a separate case for drug trafficking, marking 71 executions related to drug crimes in 2024.
Saudi Arabia, a major market for captagon—a potent amphetamine primarily produced in Syria and Lebanon—has ramped up its anti-drug operations in recent years, leading to numerous arrests and raids. The kingdom reinstated the death penalty for drug offenses two years ago, resulting in a sharp rise in executions.
On the same day, two Saudi citizens were also executed for murder.
According to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia ranked third globally for executions in 2023, behind China and Iran. Human rights groups have criticized the kingdom’s use of capital punishment, calling it excessive and inconsistent with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to modernize its global image. However, the Saudi government maintains that capital punishment is vital for maintaining public order and emphasizes that executions only occur after all appeals have been exhausted.
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