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
- APRIL 2, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA 'HOLDS OFF ON EXECUTING SORCERER'
Saudi Arabia apparently stayed the execution of Lebanese former TV presenter Ali Sibat who was convicted of sorcery.
- MARCH 31, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
LEBANESE AUTHORITIES URGED TO INTERVENE TO HALT EXPECTED SAUDI ARABIA EXECUTION
Amnesty International urged Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to halt the imminent execution of Lebanese national Ali Hussain Sibat in Saudi Arabia, after the organisation received reports that an execution is scheduled for tomorrow.
- MARCH 26, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: WOMAN GETS DEATH FOR KILLING NEPHEW
the Summary Court in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, sentenced a 23-year-old woman to death for throwing her sister’s baby to his death from the second floor of their house because he was “born out of wedlock.”
- MARCH 24, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN ADMITS MURDER 4 YEARS LATER, GIVEN DEATH
the Hail grand court in Saudi Arabia sentenced a young man to death for killing his 67 year old neighbour by poisoning his food with insecticide four years ago.
- MARCH 18, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA 'SORCERY' DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD
Amnesty International has called on the King of Saudi Arabia to halt the execution of a Lebanese
- MARCH 16, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
the Saudi Arabian government stayed the execution of Iraqi man Mohammad Abdul Amir
the Saudi Arabian government stayed the execution of Iraqi man Mohammad Abdul Amir
MARCH 15, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: DEATH ROW MAID IN A FIGHT FOR HER LIFE
Rizana Nafeek is appealing her death sentence for the accidental death of a child that a family
- MARCH 10, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE AGAINST SORCERER
the Medina General Court in Saudi Arabia upheld its verdict against Arab sorcerer Ali Hussein Subat (aka Shahrzad), 46, for publicly practicing black magic and spreading corruption on the earth.
MARCH 4, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SUDANESE MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
a Sudanese driver convicted of murdering his Saudi Arabian employer has
FEBRUARY 22, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
A Saudi man convicted of murder was beheaded by the sword
FEBRUARY 17, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: MAN EXECUTED FOR MURDER
Saudi Arabian man Ahmed al-Anzi was beheaded by the sword in the northern province
- FEBRUARY 4, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
two Filipino women, Idan Tejano and Noraisa Talib Mabanding...
two Filipino women, Idan Tejano and Noraisa Talib Mabanding...
- JANUARY 24, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR TRAFFICKING DRUGS
Mohsen bin Mohammed bin Saleh al-Mokhles was beheaded by the sword in Dammam in the east of the kingdom for trafficking in hashish according to a Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry statement carried by the official SPA news agency.
- JANUARY 20, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: ‘QATIF RAPIST’ SENTENCED TO DEATH
a man dubbed the Qatif rapist was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for raping over 100 women in 2006 and blackmailing many of his victims by recording the attacks on video.
- JANUARY 19, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
A Saudi man was beheaded by the sword in Abha, Saudi Arabia, for fatally
- JANUARY 14, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
a Saudi man was beheaded by the sword in Khamis Msheit
- JANUARY 13, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI EXECUTED FOR MURDER
in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Redha bin Abid bin Abdullah Almabadi was beheaded by the sword for fatally stabbing Ahmed bin Mohammad al-Harbi in an argument, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.
- JANUARY 12, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA AMENDS DEATH SENTENCE LAW
Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council passed legislation amending the Criminal Procedure Law so that
- JANUARY 11, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA CARRIES OUT FIRST EXECUTION OF 2010
A Saudi man was beheaded in Madinah for raping and robbing four women after offering to give them a
- JANUARY 9, 2010CanadaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SUPREME COURT REVOKES DEATH SENTENCE AGAINST TWO
the Saudi Arabian Supreme Court annulled the death sentences of two high school pupils accused of murdering a fellow student, Munther Al-Haraki, in January 2007.
- JANUARY 1, 2010Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law that prescribes the death sentence for murder...
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law that prescribes the death sentence for murder, apostasy, rape, drug trafficking, highway robbery, sabotage and armed robbery.
- DECEMBER 27, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
a Yemeni convicted of rape was beheaded...
a Yemeni convicted of rape was beheaded...
DECEMBER 21, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR STABBING FATHER TO DEATH
Saudi Arabian national Khaled bin Saleh al-Owfi was beheaded by the sword in Mecca after being convicted of stabbing his father to death.
- DECEMBER 16, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: NO BEHEADING OF FILIPINO COUPLE IN SAUDI—DFA
a Filipino couple who were supposed to have been beheaded in Saudi Arabia on December 11 are alive and in jail as their case is still under investigation, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
- DECEMBER 11, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SWEDISH EU - PRESIDENCY STATEMENT ON DEATH PENALTY AND EXECUTION IN SAUDI ARABIA
the Presidency of the European Union expresses its concern regarding recent reports of death sentences in Saudi Arabia for activities defined as "sorcery".
- DECEMBER 7, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED AND CRUCIFIED
A man was beheaded and then crucified in the Saudi Arabian city of Hail.
- NOVEMBER 19, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI MAN EXECUTED FOR KILLING SISTER
Saudi Arabian man Mourif al-Ribai was executed in the Kharj region of Riyadh after being convicted of murdering his sister, the interior ministry announced in a statement carried by the official SPA agency.
- NOVEMBER 16, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN EXECUTED FOR CHILD RAPE
in Taif, Saudi Arabia, Saad Al-Hathli was executed for kidnapping and raping two schoolboys at a remote area outside the
- NOVEMBER 12, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: PRISONERS OF CHILD GET DEATH
a Medina court in Saudi Arabia sentenced an Egyptian man and his sister to death for kidnapping an Afghani girl and keeping her prisoner for four years.
NOVEMBER 10, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: TWO BEHEADED FOR MURDER
Saudi Arabia beheaded two Saudis convicted of murder in the western city of Taif , the interior ministry said