Amnesty International Secretary General: Saudi Arabia Continues a Brutal Execution Campaign and Blatant Disregard for Human Life

Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, has strongly condemned the escalating execution campaign in Saudi Arabia, stating that Saudi authorities “continue relentless mass killings, displaying a horrifying disregard for human life,” despite attempts to improve their international image.

Callamard noted that Saudi Arabia has executed more than 198 people so far in 2024, the highest number recorded since 1990. She highlighted that Saudi authorities are intensifying executions without adhering to international standards for fair trials and the protection of defendants’ rights.

She further emphasized that Saudi authorities have exploited the death penalty as a weapon to silence political opposition, particularly targeting members of the Shia minority who supported anti-government protests between 2011 and 2013.

Callamard described the death penalty as a “vile and inhumane punishment,” stressing that Saudi Arabia has used it to punish a wide range of offenses, including political dissent, in trials lacking fairness. She called on Saudi authorities to immediately halt executions and to retry those sentenced to death in accordance with international standards.