The year 2024 marked a bloody nightmare for individuals sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, with executions doubling by 100% compared to 2023, averaging one execution every 25 hours.
At the start of 2025, this nightmare has become even more severe for detainees charged with drug offenses, as the number of executions for such cases sharply increased during the previous year. The executions were distributed across prisons in various regions as follows: Mecca: 29, Najran: 8, Medina: 11, Riyadh: 2, Eastern Province: 10, Al-Jawf: 33, Al-Baha: 1, Tabuk: 24, Jazan: 4, and Asir: 1.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) has tracked the cases of prisoners in Tabuk, particularly those of Egyptian and Jordanian nationalities, where 24 detainees were executed for drug-related charges in 2024. These executions were accompanied by numerous violations against the detainees in this prison, adding to the systemic abuses they have faced since their arrest.
In this report, ESOHR sheds light on some of the cases of death row inmates in Tabuk prison, who endure ongoing torture amid grave fears that their sentences could be carried out at any moment. The organization emphasizes that these cases and the information gathered from various sources represent only a sample of what is happening in prisons, given the lack of transparency, restrictions on detainees and their families, and the complete absence of any role for domestic civil society. According to available information, 27 Egyptian detainees in one wing of Tabuk prison face imminent execution, while dozens of individuals of various nationalities across the country’s prisons are believed to face the same fate.
Saeed Suleiman Sabah Dakhil
Saeed Suleiman Sabah Dakhil is an Egyptian man born on November 10, 1989. He was arrested on October 15, 2016, by Border Guard forces in South Sinai, specifically in international territorial waters. The arrest was conducted without presenting an official warrant, a blatant violation of the law. Saeed was subjected to severe torture by the Border Guard and Anti-Narcotics Forces at the Border Guard headquarters, where physical violence was used to coerce confessions, causing him to faint. He was not assigned a lawyer, and his family was unable to contact him throughout his detention before the trial began. The charges against him involved drug smuggling.
Abdel Fattah Kamal Abdel Fattah Abdel Aziz
Abdel Fattah Kamal Abdel Fattah Abdel Aziz was born on June 27, 1987. He was arrested on January 18, 2018, in Jeddah, where police apprehended him at his workplace. Following his arrest, he was placed in solitary confinement and subjected to physical and psychological torture to force a confession. His health was in critical condition, as he suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure. He was later transferred to King Fahd Hospital in Tabuk for treatment and underwent heart surgery. His family was not informed of the arrest until a later time. During his trial, the court appointed a lawyer, Abdul Aziz Al-Atwi, to represent Abdel Fattah.
Mohamed Kamal Salah Kamal
Mohamed Kamal Salah Kamal, born on July 23, 1988, was arrested on November 31, 2016. According to his family, during the arrest by Anti-Narcotics Forces, a bag was found whose contents and owner he did not know. Despite this, he was beaten severely during the arrest, with weapons pointed at him, further intensifying his intimidation. While in prison, Mohamed endured severe torture, which led to his hospitalization for treatment. He was not assigned a lawyer and remained awaiting his judgment without any fair legal proceedings being undertaken.
Mohamed Ahmed Saad Mohamed
Mohamed Ahmed Saad Mohamed was born on January 25, 1990, and was arrested on November 24, 2020, by Border Guard forces in territorial waters. During his arrest, weapons were pointed at him. He was subsequently transferred to Tabuk prison, where he endured severe torture, resulting in serious physical injuries. No lawyer was appointed to represent him. He was accused of drug smuggling.
Suleiman Olayan Musleh Al-Othameen
Suleiman Olayan Musleh Al-Othameen, a Jordanian citizen, was born on January 1, 1968. He was arrested on November 28, 2014, by Border Guard forces in Tabuk while crossing the border. Weapons were pointed at him during the arrest. Initially, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but this sentence was later escalated to a death penalty by discretionary ruling. No lawyer was appointed to defend him.
Issam Shathly Ahmed Mohamed
Issam Shazly Ahmed Mohamed, born on December 5, 1997, worked as a fisherman. He was arrested on July 1, 2022, by the Egyptian army in the coastal border waters of Nuweiba. He was shot at while in the water and subsequently handed over to Saudi authorities. Issam was tortured in Tabuk prison, which severely affected his health. He was forcibly disappeared for a month after his arrest, and his family was not informed of his whereabouts. A lawyer was appointed to him by the court only after his trial sessions had begun.
Ahmed Zeinhem Mohamed Al-Samahi Omar
Ahmed Zeinhem Mohamed Al-Samahi Omar was born on January 1, 1986, and was arrested on August 29, 1 by the customs authority at Duba Port. He was apprehended at gunpoint without being presented with any official warrant. Drugs were found during the arrest, but he later claimed to have no connection to them. He was detained alongside individuals he did not know. Ahmed endured severe physical torture, including electric shocks, and was denied medical treatment despite his injuries. He was also barred from contacting his family for an extended period.
Gamal Mohamed Suleiman Salama
Gamal Mohamed Suleiman Salama was born on February 1, 1990, and was arrested in 2016 while fishing near the islands of Tiran and Sanafir. He was shot by Saudi forces, and the bullet remains lodged in his neck to this day. He was not provided legal representation and was prohibited from contacting his family for a long time. Gamal was subjected to severe torture, including beatings and being chained, compounding his suffering.
Farhat Fathy Abu Al-Saudi
Farhat Fathy Abu Al-Saudi, born on January 13, 1975, worked as a driver. He was arrested on January 28, 2018, at Duba Port in Saudi Arabia. He was brutally beaten by security forces at the port, resulting in severe injuries. He was also tortured during his transfer to another location to force a confession of owning the confiscated drugs. He was denied access to a lawyer, and his family was not informed of his arrest.
According to information obtained by the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR), executions are carried out in a horrifying manner. Individuals are taken for execution without prior notice, often arbitrarily, regardless of their detention period, sentence, or other considerations. This leaves all detainees in a constant state of anxiety. Additionally, reports reveal practices that exacerbate fear and psychological distress, including grouping all death row inmates in one specific ward under harsh conditions, such as insufficient beds. The organization has documented restrictions placed on the families of those sentenced to death who advocated for their loved ones or shared information about their plight, both within Saudi Arabia and in Egypt. Such measures include detentions, arrests, and interrogations.
ESOHR observes that the cases it has documented illustrate a pattern of violations against detainees accused of drug offenses, particularly those of foreign nationalities. Despite the challenges in accessing all cases and determining the actual number of death row inmates from various nationalities facing drug-related charges, the evidence points to a significant number, with violations affecting all detainees to varying degrees.
The organization stresses that the documented patterns indicate that Saudi Arabia has resumed executions for drug-related charges on a wide scale, with no regard for the fact that such charges do not qualify as the most serious crimes under international law. Moreover, the absence of fair trial guarantees further undermines the legitimacy of these sentences.