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
- 1,841
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 1,841 news items on Saudi Arabia, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- AUGUST 8, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: THREE MEN BEHEADED FOR MURDER AND DRUG TRAFFICKING
AUGUST 5, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: MAGICIAN, MURDERER EXECUTED
Two Saudis were beheaded in the border town of Gurayyat in the Al-Jouf province, an Interior Ministry
AUGUST 4, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: NEPALI MAID BEHEADED FOR TODDLER MURDER
Saudi authorities beheaded a Nepali housemaid convicted of murdering a two-year-old boy by slitting his
- JUNE 25, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: TWO BEHEADED FOR RAPING MINORS
Saudi authorities beheaded two nationals convicted of raping minors in two separate cases.
JUNE 23, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BANK ROBBERY 'TERROR' PLAN
Three men were sentenced to death for attempting to establish an Al Qaeda cell in Saudi Arabia and
JUNE 18, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: 26 DISSIDENTS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Saudi Arabia has sentenced twenty-six people to death on such charges as giving speeches critical of the Al
- JUNE 11, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI MINISTER SAYS BEHEADING, LASHINGS 'CANNOT BE CHANGED'
Saudi Arabia’s Justice Minister has defended tough Sharia punishments such as beheading, cutting off hands
- JUNE 9, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: TWO GET DEATH SENTENCE OVER SHIITE UNREST
a Saudi court in Jeddah sentenced two people to death and jailed a third for 25 years after they were
MAY 27, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SHIA ACTIVIST SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Saudi court sentenced to death a Shiite protester convicted of attacking police forces during unrest in the
- MAY 26, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN WHO SHOT AT POLICE PATROL SENTENCED TO DEATH
A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a Shia man to death for shooting at a police patrol and learning how to
MAY 7, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: BLOGGER RAIF BADAWI GETS 10 YEAR JAIL SENTENCE
A Saudi court imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi for 10 years for "insulting Islam" and setting up a liberal web
- MAY 6, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: COURT ORDERS TWO THIEVES' HANDS CUT OFF
A Saudi court ordered the severing of the right hands of two thieves accused of stealing sheep in line with
- MAY 5, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SR30 MILLION RAISED TO SAVE NATIONAL FROM EXECUTION
A Saudi court annulled the death sentence and ordered the release of a 21-year-old convicted local killer
MAY 4, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR 'GET RICH QUICK' ROBBERS
Four men have been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over a “get rich quick” robbery plan, it was
- APRIL 21, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: 8 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2003 RIYADH ATTACK
A Saudi court sentenced eight people to death and 77 others to prison on charges related to attacks against
APRIL 16, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: A MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER IN RIAD
a Saudi citizen, Mohammed Matrak Mohammed al-Dosari, was beheaded in Riyadh after being convicted
- APRIL 5, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR CHILD RAPIST
Saudi Arabia's supreme court has upheld a death sentence handed down against a teacher convicted of
APRIL 4, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: INDONESIA MAID ON DEATH ROW SPARED EXECUTION
An Indonesian maid on death row in Saudi Arabia for murder has been spared execution after the Indonesian government agreed to pay the remainder of the blood money she was due to pay.
APRIL 3, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR TERRORIST
A special court in Riyadh has sentenced a man to death for his involvement in terror activities including
- MARCH 23, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI BEHEADS ANOTHER MAN FOR MURDER
A Saudi man convicted of shooting dead a compatriot in a dispute was beheaded by the sword, the interior ministry said.
- MARCH 8, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: KING ABDULLAH ORDERS 3 MONTHS REPRIEVE FOR ALL DEATH ROW INMATES
Saudi King Abdullah ordered the execution of all qizas or death penalty cases to be deferred for three
- FEBRUARY 26, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI BEHEADED FOR KILLING COMPATRIOT
Saudi Arabia beheaded one its citizens in the Eastern Province after he was convicted of murdering a
- FEBRUARY 23, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI EXECUTES 10TH CONVICT THIS YEAR
A Saudi citizen convicted of murder was beheaded today, the interior ministry announced, bringing the number of executions in the kingdom this year to 10.
- FEBRUARY 12, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: ON DEATH ROW FOR SORCERY, MAID SPARED BY KING
Ati Bt Abeh Inan, an Indonesian housemaid on death row for sorcery, was released and sent back to
- FEBRUARY 5, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi national Turki Ahmed al-Salami was executed in the Asir region after he was convicted of shooting
Saudi national Turki Ahmed al-Salami was executed in the Asir region after he was convicted of shooting
- FEBRUARY 5, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Mohammed Asharaf Ramadan, a Pakistani national, was beheaded in Riyadh over alleged charges of drug
Mohammed Asharaf Ramadan, a Pakistani national, was beheaded in Riyadh over alleged charges of drug
- FEBRUARY 4, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi authorities beheaded three citizens in three different cities, after convicting them of separate murders.
Saudi authorities beheaded three citizens in three different cities, after convicting them of separate murders.
- FEBRUARY 2, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: ONE MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
Saudi authorities beheaded a citizen in the city of Arar after he was convicted of murder, the
- JANUARY 30, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: INDIAN WORKER BEHEADED FOR MURDER
An Indian worker convicted of murdering a Saudi was beheaded by the sword in the Riyadh region, the
- JANUARY 14, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
a Saudi court sentenced two suspected al-Qaeda members to death for the 2007 murder of four French
a Saudi court sentenced two suspected al-Qaeda members to death for the 2007 murder of four French