SANAD organisation Condemns the Execution of Dhafer Al-Shahri and Criticizes Repression in Saudi Arabia

SANAD Human Rights Organisation strongly condemns the Saudi authorities’ execution of Dhafer Al-Shahri on August 24, 2024. The charges brought against him, such as “treason” and “terrorism,” were vague and unclear, with no concrete evidence provided, reflecting the authorities’ ongoing use of the judiciary as a tool to suppress dissent and silence any voice expressing an opinion.

SANAD organisation asserts that the Saudi judicial system lacks fairness and transparency, with such trials often conducted behind closed doors and without international oversight, making them a tool for settling political scores and oppressing dissenting voices. The organization points out that the execution of Dhafer Al-Shahri is not an isolated case, but part of a long-standing pattern of systematic abuses by Saudi authorities against political opponents. The latest example was the execution of a Shia citizen accused of joining Al-Qaeda, a charge that exposed the Saudi regime’s manipulation of accusations to justify killing citizens.

Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi regime has reached an unprecedented level of disregard for citizens’ lives, reflecting its oppressive nature, which exceeds all expectations and lacks the most basic human and ethical standards.

It is worth noting that the Ministry of Interior issued a statement on August 24, 2024, announcing the execution of Dhafer bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Shahri on charges of treason and committing acts of terrorism, according to the Ministry’s claims, without specifying these acts.

SANAD organisation previously issued a press statement regarding the alarming and dangerous rise in the use of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, calling for an immediate halt to all executions and a comprehensive and independent review of the cases in which such sentences have been issued.