Saudi authorities introduced on Monday that they’d executed a person who human rights teams and UN consultants say was a protester who joined uncommon anti-government demonstrations as a minor in 2011.
“The loss of life sentence was carried out towards Abdullah al-Derazi, a Saudi nationwide, within the Japanese Province,” the official Saudi Press Company (SPA) mentioned on Monday, including that he had been convicted of “terrorism”.
UN consultants referred to as for the discharge of al-Derazi in April, saying his detention was arbitrary and he was exercising his proper to protest over the federal government’s therapy of minority Shia Muslims.
Because the begin of 2025, Saudi Arabia has executed not less than 300 folks, in accordance with an AFP tally based mostly on official bulletins.
In 2024, the dominion carried out 338 executions, a file that’s more likely to be surpassed this yr.
Derazi was convicted of terrorism together with eight others for collaborating within the anti-government protests in 2011 within the Japanese Province, in accordance with human rights organisation Amnesty Worldwide.
“His household discovered in regards to the execution by social media,” mentioned Duaa Dhainy, a researcher for the Berlin-based European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR).
“They weren’t given the chance to say goodbye to Abdullah, got no official name by Saudi Arabian authorities to inform them of the execution, and his physique has not been launched to the household.”
His loss of life sentence was confirmed in secret by the nation’s Supreme Court docket, together with that of Jalal al-Labbad, one other younger man who was executed in August, in accordance with Amnesty.
Saudi Arabia, one of many world’s most prolific executioners, has put 33 folks to loss of life for terrorism this yr and 202 for drug-related offences.
