The legal director of the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, Taha Alhajji, confirmed that with the start of the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council, Saudi Arabia will have executed more than 55 people during the first half of 2023.
In a speech during the discussion of the fourth item of the session on June 23, Al-Hajji said that these executions confirm Saudi Arabia's lack of commitment to international laws, as many of the victims did not face charges considered the most serious. He explained that these executions were based on Taazir's judgments, which are not based on law but on a judge's opinion.
The speech also confirmed that the executions indicate a complete disregard for the international bodies concerned with human rights, as among them are executions in which the Special Rapporteurs had confirmed that the verdict is arbitrary.
Alhajji made it clear that Saudi Arabia carries out executions in secret and deprived families of their right to say goodbye and hold funerals. It also keeps the bodies in constant psychological torture for the families.
According to the information, the number of executions carried out is higher than the known numbers, and therefore there are fears that the number of those threatened with execution is much higher, while monitoring indicates that at least 9 minors are at risk of execution, along with researchers, clerics and demonstrators.
Alhajji indicated that Saudi Arabia repeats before the Council and in private sessions that it is working on fundamental reforms and has made official promises that it has repeatedly broken, and this requires a clear position condemning all these violations.