Today, March 12, 2022, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia carried out the largest massacre of mass executions during the reign of King Salman bin Abdulaziz: 81 people, including 7 Yemenis and one Syrian.
Although the victims were not tried collectively as part of a joint lawsuit, the Saudi Ministry of Interior filed general accusations against them in a statement it published, stating that: "They embraced the misguided thought, deviant methods and beliefs with external loyalties and hostile parties, and pledged allegiance to them for corruption and misguidance, so they committed terrorist acts, such as killing, violating sanctities, and targeting places of worship, and government headquarters."
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights believes that this massacre is a flagrant violation of international laws and it is a complete torpedo of the allegations made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in his interview with The Atlantic a few days ago, in which he said that Saudi Arabia got rid of the death penalty, except for the category of those involved in the murders.
ESOHR documented some of the cases of these victims, but it has not been able to monitor the rest due to the lack of transparency in dealing with execution cases, threats, and intimidation of families and civil society. The documentation of several cases confirmed that the charges did not include any serious charges, and some of them related to participation in demonstrations demanding justice and human rights.
The Ministry of Interior claimed in a statement that:" the defendants were prosecuted before a competent court, were empowered with the guarantees, and all the rights guaranteed to them by the regulations in the Kingdom.” ESOHR had documented flagrant violations of fair trial standards, including denial of access to a lawyer, exposure to torture, and denial from communicating with the outside world.
In addition, the United Nations, through its various mechanisms, had contacted the Saudi government about the cases of some of those who were executed, including Asaad Shuber and Muhammad al-Shakhouri, and confirmed that their trials involved several violations, including torture and the lack of adequate self-defense.
ESOHR believes that the third mass massacre during the reign of King Salman bin Abdulaziz is a continuation of the bloodshed that characterized this era, far from official attempts to whitewash the image of the government. The organization stresses that the mass execution confirmed that this punishment is strictly subject to the political decision, and there is no possibility of holding the tormentors and violators accountable.
The organization considers that this massacre reinforces the lack of any seriousness or confidence in official promises, and it also raises concerns for the lives and safety of individuals who are still facing the death penalty, including minors, especially since this massacre, in which 81 people were killed, was preceded by two massacres in 2016 that affected 47 people And in 2019, it affected 37 people.