Record number of death sentences during the first half of 2021 in Saudi Arabia
The death sentences announced by the Saudi regime from the beginning of the year 2021 exposed the falsehood of the Saudi claims of reforms of abolishing death sentences.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights documented the execution of 31 people by the Saudi regime during the first half of 2021, exceeding the total number of executions during 2020.
In comparison with 2020, the number of executions during the first half of 2021 doubled.
The official Saudi Human Rights Commission had stated in January 2021, claiming a decrease in death sentences during the year 2020.
“Saudi Arabia has reduced the number of executions carried out in the year 2020,” the statement said.
The authority indicated that 27 executions were carried out, representing a decrease of 85% compared to 2019, which recorded 184 executions.
However, after 56 months of the statement, the figures show that the decrease in the number of executions carried out during the year 2020 is due to several reasons not related to reforming the human rights reality.
In addition to the official Saudi attempts to polish its dark image during the year 2020, especially with the face of entitlements, including hosting the summit of the Group of Twenty
The exceptional conditions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic played a prominent role in the decline in numbers.
In addition, the commission had promoted a royal order issued in April 2020 to stop death sentences against minors.
This was followed by several official statements confirming the protection of minors from execution, but the Saudi regime continued to threaten the lives of dozens.
On June 15, 2021, the regime executed Mustafa Al Darwish to confirm the failure of the royal order and the continuation of the killing of minors.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights confirmed that the numbers recorded since the beginning of the year 2021 raise fears that the number of executions carried out until the end of the year will double compared to the previous year.
She stressed that this clearly indicates a lack of confidence in the promises and statements of the Saudi regime and thus its continued threat to minors.
The human rights organization warned that the lives of dozens, including at least four minors, Abdullah Al-Hwaiti, Sajjad Al-Yassin, Jalal Al-Labad and Yousef Al-Manasif, are in imminent danger, especially in light of the lack of transparency in Saudi Arabia’s handling of the execution files.
It also warned of the danger of murder threatening the lives of 5 minors, Muhammad Al-Faraj, Ahmed Al-Faraj, Ali Al-Bati, Muhammad Al-Nimr, Ali Al-Faraj, after the Public Prosecution requested the maximum punitive punishment for them, in light of the legal ambiguity.
