In conjunction with the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, the European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) and Human Rights Advocates sent an update to member states of the Council, highlighting the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia.
The two organizations pointed out that, contrary to the official Saudi narrative and the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to whitewash its image by exploiting UN platforms and organizing international events, the human rights situation inside Saudi Arabia continues to deteriorate.
The two organizations stressed that Saudi Arabia continues to suppress freedom of opinion and expression, using arrests and long sentences to prevent any kind of political or human rights activities. Moreover, Saudi authorities continue to detain dozens of activists, including women's rights activists, and prevent them from traveling. At the same time, the authorities are failing to take any steps to fulfill their international obligations under treaties they have ratified, such as the Convention Against Torture and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
These violations occur in total disregard of promises made by the authorities, including minimizing the use of the death penalty for crimes that are not considered among the most serious.
The two organizations noted that Saudi Arabia has dramatically stepped up executions in recent years, reaching a record high of 345 executions in 2024. This increase includes a marked increase in the execution of women, with authorities executing nine women of different nationalities in 2024 alone, as well as a high percentage of foreign workers among those executed, especially foreigners convicted on drug charges.
n addition, the letter explained that Saudi authorities have executed people convicted of vaguely defined offenses such as “treason” and other political offenses, and continue to abuse anti-terrorism laws. The two organizations have documented that dozens of individuals are still facing the death penalty. Despite the lack of transparency, the two organizations confirmed that many foreigners face execution for drug-related offenses. The lives of nine juvenile offenders remain at risk, in addition to dozens of individuals who have been sentenced to death for offenses not considered the most serious, such as participating in protests or expressing their opinions.
The two organizations stressed that Saudi Arabia is trying to cover up the facts about its human rights record by silencing civil society and avoiding transparency about human rights. These cover-up attempts are accompanied by ongoing “image-washing” campaigns, including sporting and diplomatic efforts. Therefore, the two organizations believe that states and international human rights institutions, led by the Human Rights Council, should highlight these violations and Saudi Arabia's attempts to cover them up.
The letter urges member states to raise these issues during the upcoming session of the Human Rights Council, including in oral interventions and private meetings with Saudi officials, and specifically to
- Highlight the overall human rights situation in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on violations related to freedom of expression, political repression, and the death penalty.
- Call for a moratorium on executions in line with the global trend towards the abolition of the death penalty, especially to stop the execution of minors and people accused of crimes that do not qualify as “most serious crimes” according to international standards.
- Call on Saudi Arabia to abide by its international commitments and promises, particularly under the Convention against Torture and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- Call for full transparency in death penalty practices, including disclosure of the names and numbers of people sentenced to death and executed in Saudi Arabia, including gender, nationality, type of offense, and relationship to any of the defendants or victims