Execution of Ali Al-Leif: The Fifth Political Execution in Saudi Arabia Since the Beginning of 2025
Today, Wednesday, February 12, 2025, the Saudi authorities carried out the Ta’zir execution of citizen Ali bin Salman bin Mohammed Al-Leif in the Eastern Province, making him the fifth person executed in Saudi Arabia for political reasons since the beginning of the year.
According to the Ministry of Interior’s statement, Al-Leif was accused of forming a “terrorist cell,” involvement in alleged attacks against security forces, and supplying others with weapons and funds. However, the Saudi government failed to provide any concrete evidence supporting these claims, raising serious concerns about the judiciary being used as a political tool to silence dissent and settle scores with activists.
A Pattern of Politically-Motivated Charges
Saudi Arabia has a long history of fabricating terrorism-related cases against political detainees, using unfair trials to justify executions despite the lack of basic legal standards. As usual, the Ministry’s statement provided no specific details on the evidence or circumstances of the case, instead relying on vague phrases like “belonging to a terrorist cell” and “attacking security personnel”—terms frequently used in politically motivated prosecutions.
A Legally Flawed Trial
The Ministry’s announcement of the execution highlights major legal irregularities, the most alarming being the absence of clear and irrefutable evidence proving Al-Leif’s alleged crimes. No specific incidents or verified evidence were disclosed, and Saudi authorities have a well-documented record of extracting forced confessions under torture, denying independent legal review, and violating fundamental rights.
Additionally, the statement failed to clarify the type of court that handled the case or whether Al-Leif was granted full legal defense rights, reflecting the lack of transparency in Saudi trials. Given the judiciary’s lack of independence, courts routinely issue severe sentences based on security directives, without considering fair trial standards.
Human Rights Condemnation and Calls to Halt Political Executions
Sanad Human Rights Organization strongly condemns this execution, asserting that the continued implementation of death sentences in political cases constitutes a grave violation of fundamental rights and contradicts Saudi Arabia’s international commitments.
Sanad calls on the international community to take urgent action to pressure the Saudi authorities into halting politically motivated executions and ensuring fair and transparent trials that align with international human rights standards.
The rising number of executions in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the year underscores the authorities’ persistent use of capital punishment to suppress dissent under the pretext of counterterrorism. Therefore, Sanad demands an immediate end to all political executions and a retrial of detainees under fair judicial procedures that uphold their rights to defense and justice.
