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
- JUNE 11, 2007SudanDEATH PENALTY
SUDANESE BEHEADED IN SAUDI FOR MURDER
a Sudanese national was executed by the sword in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of murdering a Saudi man, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.
- JUNE 8, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
ONE EXECUTED IN SAUDI ARABIA
in Saudi Arabia, authorities beheaded a Saudi citizen for smuggling hashish.
- JUNE 5, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. THREE AFGHANS BEHEADED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
three Afghans convicted of drug trafficking were beheaded in Saudi Arabia, the interior ministry announced.
- MAY 31, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI NATIONAL EXECUTED FOR MURDER
the Saudi Arabian news agency SPA website carried a Saudi Interior Ministry statement saying the Religious Court sentenced Muhil Bin-Zayid Bin-Ma'yud al-Aydani...
- MAY 29, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI CONVICTED OF MURDER EXECUTED IN EASTERN REGION
SPA carried a Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry statement saying the Religious Court sentenced Hamid Bin-Awad Bin-Muhammad al-Harithi to death for shooting dead Sa'ud Bin-Farahid Bin-Jabir al-Qutami al-Utaybi following an argument.
- MAY 24, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi Arabian authorities beheaded a Pakistani man convicted of smuggling drugs into the country...
Saudi Arabian authorities beheaded a Pakistani man convicted of smuggling drugs into the country...
- MAY 23, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Jordan’s King Abdallah has commuted the death sentence...
Jordan’s King Abdallah has commuted the death sentence...
- MAY 22, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. AUTHORITIES BEHEAD SAUDI MAN CONVICTED OF DRUG SMUGGLING
Saudi authorities beheaded a Saudi national convicted of smuggling drugs into the country, the Interior Ministry said.
- MAY 22, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI CONVICTED OF MURDER EXECUTED IN AL-JAWF
a Saudi Interior Ministry statement announced that the Shari'ah Court...
- MAY 22, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
YEMENI EXECUTED IN SAUDI ARABIA FOR "SODOMISING MINOR"
a Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry statement said that the Shari'ah Court convicted...
- MAY 21, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI EXECUTES PAKISTANI FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Saudi Arabia executed Pakistani national Amin-Allah Khan Wali in the eastern...
- MAY 19, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA MAN EXECUTED FOR MURDER
Misfer bin Ali al-Khathami was executed in the Southern region of Aseer...
- MAY 18, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI CONVICT ESCAPES EXECUTION AT LAST MOMENT
a Saudi convict escaped execution by decapitation in the Saudi city of Taif.
- MAY 17, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI EXECUTES TWO MEN FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Saudi Arabia executed two Pakistani men, Layakat Ali Alf and Ghani Kal Hadret...
- MAY 16, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI BEHEADS MAN FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Saudi Arabia has beheaded Saudi national Jalal Al-Marhoun in the northern region of Al-Jawf for smuggling drugs into the kingdom, the ministry said.
- MAY 16, 2007EthiopiaDEATH PENALTY
two Ethiopian citizens, Ali Mohammed Ali and Adel Adam Aman...
two Ethiopian citizens, Ali Mohammed Ali and Adel Adam Aman...
MAY 16, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA DIPLAYES BODIES OF 2 ETHIOPIANS BEHEADED FOR ARMED ROBBERY AND MURDER
Saudi authorities beheaded two Ethiopians convicted of killing a Saudi national in an armed robbery and
- MAY 15, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI EXECUTED IN MECCA REGION FOR MURDER
the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry issued a statement announcing that the Court of Cassation upheld the death sentence against Ahmad Bin-Abdallah Bin-Abd-al-Hadi al-Harbi, a Saudi national who was convicted of stabbing to death Abduh Bin-Yusuf Bin-Abduh
- MAY 15, 2007IndiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA BEHEADS INDIAN FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Saudi Arabia beheaded an Indian man convicted of drug smuggling, the Interior Ministry said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
- MAY 14, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTANI BEHEADED IN SAUDI ARABIA
Pakistani national Seraj Mohamed Abdul Mohamed was beheaded after being convicted of smuggling an undisclosed amount of heroin he had hidden in his stomach.
- MAY 14, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
FOUR NATIONALS EXECUTED IN SAUDI ARABI FOR MURDER
four Saudi Arabians were beheaded by the sword after being convicted of rape and murder.
MAY 14, 2007IraqDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA. IRAQI BEHEADED FOR SMUGGLING HASHISH
an Iraqi national was beheaded by the sword after being convicted of smuggling hashish into the ultra-conservative kingdom, the interior ministry said.
- MAY 13, 2007PakistanDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI BEHEADS TWO PAKISTANIS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
two Pakistanis found guilty of drug trafficking were beheaded by the sword in Saudi Arabia, the interior ministry said.
- MAY 13, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI BEHEADS NATIONAL FOR MURDER
Mufreh bin Ahmad al-Missbali Assiri, a Saudi convicted of murder...
- MAY 11, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. FOUR EXECUTED FOR SMUGGLING DRUGS
Saudi Arabia beheaded three Pakistani men and a Nigerian by the sword after convicting them of drug trafficking.
- MAY 10, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. MAN BEHEADED
Saudi Arabian authorities beheaded a Pakistani man convicted of drug smuggling, the interior ministry said in
- MAY 9, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA BEHEADS ETHIOPIAN WOMAN FOR MURDER
an Ethiopian woman was beheaded by the sword in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the interior
- MAY 8, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI NATIONAL BEHEADED FOR MURDER
a Saudi national was beheaded by the sword in Riyadh, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.
MAY 7, 2007ThailandDEATH PENALTYSAUDI BEHEADS TWO THAIS FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
two Thai nationals, Shalirm Yonha Koy and Smnoq Mintcho Keet, were beheaded in the Saudi Arabian city of Al Dammam for drug smuggling.
- MAY 5, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA BEHEADS MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING YEMENI CHILD
Saudi Arabia beheaded a Saudi man convicted of murder, according to an Interior Ministry statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. Ibnalzen