Saudi Arabia executes Ali Al-Subaiti and his uncle Mustafa Al-Subaiti in ninth political execution this year
Saudi authorities executed Ali bin Hassan Al-Subaiti and his uncle Mustafa bin Saleh Al-Subaiti on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in the Eastern Province, after convicting them on alleged “terrorism” charges, marking the ninth political execution since the beginning of the year.
According to a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Interior, the death sentence was carried out against both men after they were accused of joining a terrorist organization and participating in acts of violence, without providing clear details or concrete evidence—reflecting a pattern of broadly worded accusations used in similar cases.
Human rights sources reported that Ali Al-Subaiti was among the youngest political detainees sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, as he was 27 years old at the time of execution. He had been detained since 2017, when he was arrested at the age of 18 while attempting to obtain a driver’s license, despite not being wanted by authorities.
The sources stated that all charges against him relate to acts allegedly committed while he was a minor, including participating in protests at the age of 12, sheltering individuals accused of robbery, engaging in demonstrations, and allegedly financing terrorism—charges that do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes” under international law.
During trial sessions, Ali Al-Subaiti reported serious violations, including being denied contact with his family, deprived of legal representation, held in solitary confinement for over eight months, subjected to severe torture, and forced to sign confessions under duress.
His case also constitutes a violation of Saudi juvenile law, which limits sentences for minors to a maximum of 10 years, making his execution a clear breach of both domestic regulations and international laws prohibiting the execution of individuals for acts committed as minors.
SANAD Human Rights Organization stated that Saudi authorities have a pattern of fabricating charges and extracting confessions under torture, as well as issuing death sentences over peaceful expression, including on social media, as seen in previous cases such as Dhafer Al-Shehri and journalist Turki Al-Jasser.
While condemning the execution of Ali and Mustafa Al-Subaiti, SANAD called on human rights organizations, the international community, and the United Nations to take urgent action to pressure Saudi authorities to halt politically motivated executions, launch independent and transparent investigations into these violations, and ensure the protection of the right to life and freedom of expression.
