Saudi Arabia’s Record Executions Expose Grim Reality Behind Crown Prince’s Reform Rhetoric

Saudi Arabia has shattered its previous records on executions, with Amnesty International reporting an unprecedented 345 deaths last year alone. This surge mainly stems from the kingdom's aggressive use of the death penalty for nonviolent drug offenses—a disturbing trend that raises urgent questions about the true nature of the so-called reforms touted by Riyadh. Despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman publicly asserting in 2022 that capital punishment is limited to homicide cases grounded in Islamic law, the grim reality on the ground tells a different story. Data shows that two-thirds of this year’s executions targeted individuals convicted of drug-related charges—cases...