Saudi Arabia
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 9
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 41
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Executions are carried out in public with a sword
- News items in the archive
- 1,878
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Saudi Arabia is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 9 executions in the country, against 41 the year before. The archive holds 1,878 news items on Saudi Arabia, from 1999 to today.
In Saudi Arabia the death penalty applies to murder, drug offences, terrorism and certain offences under sharia law. The usual method is beheading, in some cases carried out in public. Executions are often announced in groups by the official press agency and a significant share of them involve foreign nationals.
The system of diya, the compensation a victim's family may accept in place of an execution, leaves some sentences reversible until the last moment. The archive gathers official announcements, individual cases and the campaigns to stop them.
Latest news
SEPTEMBER 10, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: IRAQI EXECUTED FOR MURDER
An Iraqi convicted of murder became the 132nd person executed in Saudi Arabia this year, the interior ministry said.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2015KenyaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: KENYAN GIRL SENTENCED TO HANG
A group of over 80 girls who were being detained at a deportation center in Saudi Arabia have arrived back in Kenya.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: 130TH EXECUTION THIS YEAR CARRIED OUT
Saudi authorities put to death a convicted murderer, bringing to 130 the number of executions in the kingdom so far this year
SEPTEMBER 1, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: TWO PAKISTANIS EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
two Pakistani citizens were beheaded in the last days in Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking, bringing to 129
- AUGUST 30, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi authorities executed a Pakistani man for attempting to smuggle drugs into the ultra-conservative
Saudi authorities executed a Pakistani man for attempting to smuggle drugs into the ultra-conservative
- AUGUST 27, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi Arabia executed a Pakistani man convicted of smuggling drugs into the ultra-conservative kingdom,
Saudi Arabia executed a Pakistani man convicted of smuggling drugs into the ultra-conservative kingdom,
- AUGUST 5, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: ETHIOPIANS, PAKISTANI, SAUDI EXECUTED
Saudi Arabia put to death two Ethiopians, a Pakistani and a Saudi, bringing to 114 the total number of executions this year, according to AFP tallies.
AUGUST 4, 2015IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: 12 CITIZENS RELEASED FROM DEATH ROW IN SAUDI ARABIA
The Foreign Ministry’s directorate of legal aid and protection of Indonesian nationals overseas said that
- AUGUST 3, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: FIVE PRISONERS BEHEADED FOR MURDER, DRUG TRAFFICKING
Saudi Arabia beheaded five prisoners between July 29 and August 3, bringing to 110 the total number of
- JULY 31, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: PAKISTANI HEROIN SMUGGLER EXECUTED
Saudi Arabia beheaded a convicted Pakistani heroin trafficker.
JULY 28, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: PARDON BY VICTIM'S DAD SAVES KILLER
A Saudi man on the death row for killing his relative was saved after the victim's father pardoned him just days before his execution.
- JULY 28, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SECOND EXECUTION AFTER RAMADAN PAUSE
Saudi Arabia beheaded one of its citizens for drug trafficking, in the second execution after a pause for
JULY 23, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: FIRST EXECUTION AFTER RAMADAN PAUSE
Saudi Arabia carried out its first execution in five weeks after a pause for Ramadan, beheading one of its citizens convicted of a double murder.
JUNE 23, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI CONFIRMS DEATH PENALTIES FOR MURDERS OF 4 FRENCH
Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has confirmed death sentences for two suspected Saudi Al-Qaeda members
JUNE 16, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYIRAN: DRUG SMUGGLER HANGED IN PUBLIC
one man charged of drug smuggling was hanged in public in the city of Sari, Iran’s Mehr news agency
- JUNE 16, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: TWO MURDERERS BEHEADED
Saudi Arabia beheaded two of its citizens for murder, taking to 102 the number of executions in the kingdom this year.
- JUNE 15, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: BEHEADED 100TH PERSON THIS YEAR
Saudi Arabia beheaded a Syrian drug trafficker and a national convicted of murder, taking to 100 the number of executions in the kingdom this year.
- JUNE 10, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: PAKISTANI DRUG SMUGGLER BEHEADED
Saudi Arabia beheaded a Pakistani convicted of heroin smuggling.
- JUNE 3, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SIX INDONESIANS ON DEATH ROW RELEASED AFTER INDONESIA AGREED TO PAY BLOOD MONEY
six Indonesian citizens sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia were released and arrived home, after the
- JUNE 3, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA BEHEADS TWO NATIONALS BRINGING EXECUTION TOLL TO 94 IN 2015
Saudi Arabia says it has beheaded two more of its nationals, bringing to 94 the number of such executions so far this year across the Persian Gulf kingdom.
- JUNE 2, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: WIFE KILLER AND DRUG TRAFFICKER BEHEADED
Saudi Arabia beheaded a Saudi man convicted of murdering his wife, along with a Syrian drug smuggler, adding to a toll that activists called a "stain" on the kingdom's rights record.
- MAY 28, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: PAKISTANI DRUG TRAFFICKER BEHEADED
Saudi Arabia beheaded a convicted Pakistani drug trafficker, adding to what a United Nations rapporteur
- MAY 27, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: A MURDER CONVICT BEHEADED IN 89TH EXECUTION THIS YEAR
Fahd bin Hussein Daghriri was executed in the region of Jazan for his role in the murder of a fellow Saudi
- MAY 26, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: 88TH PERSON EXECUTED THIS YEAR, TOPPING 2014 TOTAL
Saudi Arabia executed three people, raising the total number of executions to at least 88 so far this year,
- MAY 18, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: GOVERNMENT HAS ADVERTISED FOR EIGHT NEW EXECUTIONERS
Saudi Arabia has advertised for eight executioners. The eight positions, as advertised on the website of the
- MAY 17, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: PAKISTANI BEHEADED, 84 EXECUTIONS IN 2015
Saudi Arabia beheaded a Pakistani sentenced to death for drug smuggling, bringing to 84 the number of executions in the ultra-conservative kingdom this year, the interior ministry said.
MAY 13, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: THREE YEMENIS BEHEADED, 83 EXECUTIONS IN 2015
Saudi Arabia beheaded three Yemenis for drug trafficking, bringing to 83 the number of executions in little more than four months, compared with 87 all of last year.
- MAY 12, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: 80TH PERSON BEHEADED THIS YEAR
Saudi Arabia carried out its 80th beheading of the year, edging closer to the 87 executions it carried out during all of 2014.
- MAY 6, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI NATIONAL EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Saudi Arabia carried out its 79th execution in 2015 in the northwestern region of Tabuk, reported AFP News.
- MAY 5, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SIX FOREIGNERS BEHEADED
The Saudi Press Agency has disclosed that 6 foreigners were beheaded in Saudi Arabia between May 1st and 4.