The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights participated in the pre-session meeting for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Saudi Arabia at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on December 1, 2023.
The statement was delivered by the organization's Senior researcher, Duaa Dhainy, on behalf of Reprieve, before representatives of states, a Saudi delegation in Geneva, and alongside non-governmental organizations.
The intervention shed light on Saudi Arabia's failure to implement the recommendations presented during the comprehensive periodic review operations in 2018 regarding compliance with international standards regarding the use of the death penalty and torture.
It clarified that Saudi Arabia continued, during this period, to execute individuals accused of drug-related offences and minors in violation of regional and international commitments. The statement pointed out that since 2018, the two organizations documented a deterioration in human rights, manifested in a record number of executions, with no less than 750 individuals executed. Among those executed were individuals considered by UN special procedures as arbitrarily detained, individuals accused of non-lethal crimes, and children. During this period, two mass executions were carried out, the latest in March 2022, where 81 individuals were executed in one day.
The statement explained that despite numerous accepted recommendations, Saudi Arabia has taken no steps to review or amend legislation to restrict the application of the death penalty to the "most serious crimes," in line with its regional commitments. It also failed to implement recommendations related to improving transparency in the application of the death penalty.
Additionally, Dahini pointed out that despite recommendations to decriminalize the exercise of basic rights, Saudi Arabia continues to misuse counter-terrorism legislation to issue death sentences and carry out executions, indicating the use of the penalty for revenge and suppression.
It highlighted that despite the issuance of the Events System in 2018, minors are still at risk of the death penalty. In June 2021, a minor accused of non-lethal crimes related to protests was executed, and currently, minors face the risk of execution after unfair trials.
The statement indicated that Saudi Arabia has neglected to implement recommendations related to the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment, continuing to issue death sentences against individuals who affirmed that their confessions were extracted under torture.
Both organizations concluded that Saudi Arabia has failed to implement several agreed-upon recommendations to align the application of the death penalty with international standards. The intervention called on states to submit recommendations to Saudi Arabia, ensuring an immediate announcement of an official halt to the use of the death penalty, reviewing and amending legislation related to the death penalty to restrict its application to "the most serious crimes," and amending the 2018 Events Law to abolish the death penalty for all crimes committed under the age of 18.