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
- NOVEMBER 9, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
a court in Medina sentenced a Lebanese man to death for the undefined crime of practicing
a court in Medina sentenced a Lebanese man to death for the undefined crime of practicing
NOVEMBER 7, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
Hasan bin Ahmed al-Qarni was beheaded by the sword in the western region of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
- NOVEMBER 4, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA BEHEADS 1 INDIAN, 2 LANKANS FOR MURDER
Two Sri Lankans, one of them a woman, and an Indian were beheaded by the sword in the Red Sea city of Jeddah for theft and murder, the Saudi interior ministry said.
- NOVEMBER 3, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: EXECUTION PUT ON HOLD
the execution of a 21-year-old man for raping two young boys earlier and abandoned one of them to die in the desert in Hail, Saudi Arabia, was postponed.
NOVEMBER 3, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: HIGH COURT UPHOLDS CRUCIFIXION IN CHILD MURDER CASE
a Saudi Arabian court upheld a sentence to behead and then crucify a 22-year-old man convicted of raping
- OCTOBER 29, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MOTHER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING STEPDAUGHTER
a Saudi Arabian woman was sentenced to death for torturing and killing her seven-year-old stepdaughter.
- OCTOBER 26, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. MAN EXECUTED FOR MURDER
a man was beheaded by the sword in Saudi Arabia, after being sentenced to death for shooting a relative during a dispute, the interior ministry said.
- OCTOBER 23, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER OF ELDERLY WOMAN
Saudi Arabian man Ghanim bin Marzuq al-Dosari was beheaded by the sword in Riyadh for murdering an
- OCTOBER 21, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
LEBANON: ISLAMISTS SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER ATTACK AGAINST THE ARMY
the Lebanese Justice system issued death sentences to seven members of the Fatah al-Islam group for a bloody attack against the Lebanese Army in August 2008, a legal source said.
- OCTOBER 21, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
a Saudi Arabian man convicted of murder was beheaded by the sword in the northern town of Sakaka, the Interior Ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency. Mohammed bin Saqer al-Quwaykabi was found guilty of shooting dead Faisal bin Shra
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: TURKISH MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
a Turkish citizen arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2007 for drug trafficking was recently sentenced to death, his
- AUGUST 31, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN ON DEATH ROW GETS JAIL TERM FOR TV CRITICISM
a Shi'ite on death row in Saudi Arabia for 16 years for insulting the Prophet Mohammed was sentenced this week to another five years in jail for criticising the Saudi justice system.
- AUGUST 20, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI MAN EXECUTED FOR MURDER
a Saudi Arabian man was beheaded in the southwestern town of Abha by the sword for shooting dead a compatriot and stealing his car, the Interior Ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency
- AUGUST 17, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI BEHEADED FOR MURDER
a Saudi Arabian man was beheaded by the sword for shooting dead a Yemeni man in a fight over the sale of hashish, the Interior Ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.
- AUGUST 17, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI BEHEADED FOR DOUBLE MURDER
a Saudi Arabian man who shot dead two compatriots was beheaded by the sword in the holy city of Mecca, the official SPA news agency reported. It quoted the interior ministry as saying the man, named as Ali Assiri, shot the two others dead in a dispute.
- AUGUST 15, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR BYNDOOR YOUTH
Abdul Majeed, 27, of Navunda, near Byndoor in India, was awarded capital punishment by a Saudi Arabian court for transporting narcotic drugs.
- AUGUST 7, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: BANGLADESHI NATIONAL EXECUTED IN RIYADH
Muneer Ahmed Hussein Shah, a Bangladeshi national residing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was executed for murder. A statement by the Saudi Interior Ministry said Shah pleaded guilty to raping a woman, trying to suffocate her and setting her on fire.
- AUGUST 2, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA EXECUTES NIGERIAN FOR MURDER
Nigerian national Qorbi bin Musa Adam was beheaded by the sword in Jeddah, Saudi
- JULY 26, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI BEHEADED FOR MURDER
a Saudi Arabian man who shot to death a compatriot following an argument
JULY 15, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
a Saudi man convicted of the murder of a fellow citizen was beheaded by the sword in
- JULY 8, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: ONE DEATH PENALTY IN FIRST SAUDI "TERROR" TRIALS
A Saudi criminal court has convicted and sentenced an al-Qaida militant to death and
- JULY 1, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI BEHEADED FOR MURDER
a Saudi Arabian man condemned to death for murder was beheaded by the sword in
JUNE 27, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDERING HIS WIFE
Saudi Arabian authorities beheaded a man convicted of stabbing his wife to death
- JUNE 25, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR KIDNAPPING, RAPING BOY
Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry said authorities beheaded a Saudi man convicted of
- JUNE 23, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
a Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry statement said that authorities beheaded Ahmed bin
- JUNE 21, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
a Saudi Arabian man was beheaded in the central city of Unaizah after being convicted
a Saudi Arabian man was beheaded in the central city of Unaizah after being convicted
- JUNE 18, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
a Saudi man was beheaded by the sword in the southwestern region of Asir
a Saudi man was beheaded by the sword in the southwestern region of Asir
- JUNE 10, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN EXECUTED FOR KILLING NEPHEW
A Saudi man was beheaded by the sword in Saudi Arabia for murdering his nephew
- JUNE 8, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: EGYPTIAN EXECUTED FOR MURDER
an Egyptian was beheaded by the sword in Riyadh for murdering a Saudi during a
- JUNE 3, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR CHILD RAPE
in Saudi Arabia, a General Court’s three-judge panel sentenced a 22-year-old man to