Saudi Arabia Begins 2026 with a Politically Motivated Mass Execution of Three Citizens in One Day

On 7 January 2026, Saudi authorities carried out the execution of three citizens in a mass execution, carried out under discretionary (taʿzir) rulings based on judicial interpretation, as part of the escalating wave of political executions in the Kingdom.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Interior, those executed were Rayan Al-Dubaikhi, Mohammed Al-Thuwaini, and Abdulrahman Al-Ayeri, on charges of joining a terrorist organization and harboring terrorists. However, the charges did not include any reference to specific terrorist acts, nor did Saudi authorities identify the alleged terrorist organization.

SANAD has previously documented executions carried out on the basis of fabricated charges, including cases where individuals were executed over tweets or criticism that were later framed as terrorism-related offenses, despite falling within legally protected freedom of expression. To this day, terrorism charges continue to be brought against a number of scholars and intellectuals detained in Saudi prisons, with the Public Prosecution seeking the death penalty against them.

According to documented information and expert opinions, Saudi Arabia has executed minors despite UN warnings, and last year authorities executed a journalist based on a pseudonymous account through which he expressed his views. In previous years, citizens were also executed over tweets.

It is worth noting that SANAD Human Rights Organization documented 356 executions carried out in Saudi Arabia during the past year, marking the highest execution rate since executions began being systematically documented in the Kingdom, including 45 executions of a political nature. SANAD affirms that Saudi authorities have brought “fabricated” charges in many politically motivated cases, as documented in previous local and international reports.

In this context, the official spokesperson of SANAD called on Saudi authorities to immediately halt executions, ensure fair and independent trials, and review legislation that enables the use of the death penalty—particularly in cases related to opinion and freedom of expression.