Saudi Arabia Executes Abdullah Al-Derazi — the 35th Political Execution Since the Beginning of 2025
Saudi authorities carried out the execution of Abdullah Al-Derazi today, Monday, October 20, 2025, in the Eastern Province, more than 11 years after his arrest on August 27, 2014, when he was only 18 years old.
According to the Ministry of Interior’s statement, the execution was implemented following the Supreme Court’s approval and a royal decree ordering its enforcement, based on charges described as “terrorism-related.” However, UN Special Rapporteurs previously stated that the case was politically motivated, noting that most of the alleged charges were brought against Al-Derazi while he was a minor, and that his confessions were extracted under torture.
A UN experts’ report published in June 2024 confirmed that Al-Derazi had been subjected to physical and psychological torture, held incommunicado for three months, and in solitary confinement for six months. He was forced to sign a false confession after being hospitalized due to severe torture.
The report further clarified that the charges did not involve any acts of murder or injury, and that the conviction was based solely on coerced confessions. The experts stressed that executing Al-Derazi constitutes a grave violation of international law, as most of the alleged offenses occurred when he was under 18 years old.
This execution is part of an ongoing wave of politically motivated executions in Saudi Arabia, which has seen an unprecedented escalation since the start of 2025. So far, 35 people have been executed for political or arbitrary reasons, including individuals punished for tweets or peaceful opinions posted on social media.
Earlier this year, Saudi authorities killed journalist Turki Al-Jasser, accusing him of “treason” for publishing government-critical tweets. In another case, a Shia citizen was executed on charges of belonging to Al-Qaeda — a stark contradiction that underscores how the Saudi regime fabricates charges to eliminate dissent.
SANAD Human Rights Organization strongly condemns the execution of Abdullah Al-Derazi, describing it as a fully-fledged political killing. The organization affirms that this act violates international law and treaties that prohibit executing minors or those convicted based on confessions extracted under torture.
SANAD holds the Saudi authorities fully responsible for continuing their policy of political executions and systematic torture, and calls on the international community and the United Nations to take urgent action to halt these executions, ensure accountability for perpetrators, and secure justice for all victims of repression in Saudi Arabia.
