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
- DECEMBER 17, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi authorities beheaded a Syrian man convicted of smuggling drugs. Hasan Mahmud al-Bash was
Saudi authorities beheaded a Syrian man convicted of smuggling drugs. Hasan Mahmud al-Bash was
- DECEMBER 10, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
a Pakistani man was executed in the capital Riyadh for smuggling drugs into the kingdom, the
a Pakistani man was executed in the capital Riyadh for smuggling drugs into the kingdom, the
DECEMBER 8, 2013PakistanDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: PAKISTANI DRUG TRAFFICKER BEHEADED
A Pakistani man, identified as Mohammed Zayer Khan Qol, was beheaded after he was found
NOVEMBER 26, 2013PakistanDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: PAKISTANI BEHEADED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Saudi authorities beheaded a Pakistani man convicted of smuggling drugs to the ultra-conservative
NOVEMBER 24, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR JEDDAH US CONSULATE ATTACKER
A special criminal court in Riyadh sentenced to death a terrorist, who survived in the attack
NOVEMBER 9, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI WHO KILLED WOMAN MISTAKING HER FOR MONKEY IS SAVED FROM THE GALLOWS
the family of an old Saudi woman who was shot dead by a young relative after he mistook her
- NOVEMBER 6, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Jaafar Ghulam Ali, a Pakistani national, was beheaded in Qatif Province for drug trafficking.
Jaafar Ghulam Ali, a Pakistani national, was beheaded in Qatif Province for drug trafficking.
NOVEMBER 3, 2013PhilippinesDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: BLOOD MONEY FOR FILIPINO ON DEATH ROW SHORT OF TARGET AMOUNT ON DEADLINE
On the day of the deadline for its payment, the blood money raised so far for Joselito Zapanta, the Filipino
- NOVEMBER 3, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA BEHEADS CITIZEN OVER MURDER
Saudi authorities beheaded a citizen in the southern Najran province after he was convicted of killing another man, the interior ministry said.
- OCTOBER 10, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
an unidentified Emirati man paid SR 5 million (Dh4.9 million) to save a Saudi man
an unidentified Emirati man paid SR 5 million (Dh4.9 million) to save a Saudi man
OCTOBER 10, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI BEHEADED FOR TRIBAL KILLING
Saudi authorities beheaded a citizen in the western province of Taif after he was convicted
OCTOBER 1, 2013PakistanDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT OF 8 PAKISTANIS SUSPENDED
Saudi Arabia, on the request of Pakistan embassy, has suspended the capital punishment
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Syrian man, Waleed Zeineddin, was beheaded in Jawf region, after he was convicted of trafficking
A Syrian man, Waleed Zeineddin, was beheaded in Jawf region, after he was convicted of trafficking
- SEPTEMBER 11, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
Saudi authorities beheaded national Salim Bin Hassan Al Essi in the city of Qunfadhah. He was
SEPTEMBER 5, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: TWO BEHEADED FOR MURDER
Saudi authorities beheaded two citizens in Riyadh after they were convicted of separate murders.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: CONVICTED MURDERER BEHEADED IN CENTRAL PROVINCE
A man convicted of killing his brother was beheaded in Saudia Arabia's central Qasim province, the state Spa news agency reported, citing the interior ministry.
- AUGUST 21, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi authorities executed a Yemeni national in Mecca after he was convicted of murdering a fellow
Saudi authorities executed a Yemeni national in Mecca after he was convicted of murdering a fellow
AUGUST 21, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA. YEMENI BEHEADED FOR MURDER
Saudi authorities executed a Yemeni in Mecca after he was convicted of murdering a fellow countryman, the interior ministry said.
- AUGUST 20, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. TWO EXECUTIONS
Saudi Arabia beheaded by the sword two nationals convicted of murdering a Syrian and of armed robbery, the interior ministry said.
- AUGUST 20, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: TWO SAUDIS AND A YEMENI BEHEADED FOR MURDER
On 20 August 2013, Saudi Arabia beheaded two nationals convicted of murdering
AUGUST 15, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA. MAN BEHEADED FOR TORTURING HIS WIFE
Saudi Arabian authorities have beheaded a man convicted of beating and torturing his wife to death.
- AUGUST 15, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR TORTURING HIS WIFE
Fawzi al-Khaibari was beheaded in the holy city of Medina. He was handed the death penalty for
JULY 30, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: PRISON, LASHES FOR LIBERAL SAUDI WEBSITE FOUNDER
The founder of a liberal minded website in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to seven years in prison and 600 lashes after angering Islamic authorities in the country, a newspaper reported.
- JULY 22, 2013IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: INDONESIA TO PAY $1.87M TO SAVE MAID FROM DEATH ROW
An Indonesian maid sentenced to death for killing her employer may be spared the executioner’s
- JULY 14, 2013IraqDEATH PENALTY
SAUDIS TORTURED IN IRAQI PRISONS
Saudi inmates in Iraqi prisons are tortured and executed without facing any specific
- JULY 11, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: 31 DEATH ROW PRISONERS PARDONED IN 8 MONTHS
From November 2012 to 11 July 2013, at least 31 prisoners were spared the capital punishment
- JULY 8, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: CONVICTED MURDERER BEHEADED NEAR MAKAH
Authorities in Saudi Arabia’s western Makah province beheaded a man convicted of murder, the
JULY 4, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI EXECUTES LEADERS OF YEMENI ARMED GANG
Two Yemenis condemned to death for forming an armed gang and for robbery were executed
- JUNE 24, 2013PakistanDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: 2 PAKISTANIS EXECUTED FOR ARMED ROBBERY
Saudi Arabia beheaded two Pakistani men convicted of armed robbery, the interior
- JUNE 17, 2013SyriaDEATH PENALTY
a Saudi executioner beheaded a Syrian in the northern province of Jawf, after he was convicted of
a Saudi executioner beheaded a Syrian in the northern province of Jawf, after he was convicted of