A new report by Amnesty International has revealed that Saudi Arabia executed 155 Pakistani nationals for drug-related offenses over the past ten years, raising serious concerns about the Kingdom’s use of the death penalty.
According to the report, nearly 600 people were executed in Saudi Arabia for drug crimes between 2014 and mid-2025. Of these, three-quarters were foreign nationals, including citizens from Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria, and Egypt.
Between January 2014 and June 2025, a total of 1,816 executions were recorded, with nearly one in three related to drug offenses. Amnesty highlighted that such crimes do not meet the threshold for capital punishment under international human rights law.
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In 2024 alone, the Kingdom carried out 345 executions — the highest annual figure recorded. The trend has continued into 2025, with 180 executions already carried out by June, including 46 in the month of June, 37 of which were drug-related. Most of those executed were foreigners.
Amnesty documented several cases involving foreign nationals, including Pakistanis, who faced execution without access to fair trials. Many were from low-income backgrounds, lacked education, and were denied proper legal or consular support. Some detainees alleged torture and ill-treatment to force confessions.
The report also criticised Saudi authorities for failing to notify families before executions and for refusing to return bodies for burial — a practice condemned by international rights bodies.