A group of UN Experts raised concerns regarding the treatment of Mustafa al-Darwish, a young Saudi man recently executed for crimes he allegedly committed as a minor.
Their communication, sent to the Government of Saudi Arabia prior to the government’s execution of al-Darwish, asked the Kingdom to stay al-Darwish’s execution pending investigation into allegations of human rights abuses, including torture and unfair trial practices. The government apparently proceeded with the execution, despite the UN’s request.
The Special Procedures of the United Nations are a group of UN experts charged with enforcing international human rights standards. Among them, the Special Rapporteurs on Arbitrary Executions, Freedom of Opinion, Freedom of Assembly, and Torture expressed concerns that al-Darwish had been subjected to a host of human rights violations.
In their communication, they describe allegations that al-Darwish had been tortured in such a fashion as to cause him to repeatedly lose consciousness. These acts of torture led al-Darwish to sign a coerced confession, which the UN experts stated had apparently been used at trial. The government convicted al-Darwish based off of these confessions and sentenced him to death – for crimes related to attending protests as a child.
The UN Special Procedures submitted their communication to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 28 May 2021, asking the government to take “all necessary interim measures” to prevent further human rights violations, including violations of the right to life. The government executed al-Darwish on 15 June.
The UN communication is only the most recent in a wave of international criticism of al-Darwish’s execution. On 8 July, the European Parliament adopted a resolution “strongly condemn[ing]” ongoing child executions in Saudi Arabia. The resolution makes note of repeated Saudi promises to unconditionally abolish the death penalty for children, and called on the government to ensure that other child detainees facing execution – including Mohammed al-Faraj and Abdullah al-Howaiti - would be protected.
ESOHR insists that the United Nations sent this communication two weeks before the Kingdom carried out Mustafa’s death sentence, and they had ample time to stop the execution and implement a full investigation into the allegations of torture and unfair trial practices. The fact that they didn’t shows a blatant disregard for international law, and moreover, a simple desire to carry out wanton acts of cruelty.