Latest news with #DanaAhmed
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- The Guardian
Saudi Arabia executing ‘horrifying' number of foreigners for drug crimes
Saudi Arabia has carried out a 'horrifying' number of executions for drug crimes over the past decade, most of which were of foreign nationals, according to Amnesty International. Almost 600 people have been executed over the past decade for drug-related offences, Amnesty International has found, three-quarters of whom were foreign nationals from countries including Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria and Egypt. After a temporary moratorium on drug-related capital punishments between 2021 and 2022, the executions jumped to record levels, with 122 in 2024 and 118 so far this year up until the end of last month. With little international scrutiny of what Amnesty describes as 'grossly unfair trials' and a 'chilling disregard for human life', the rights organisation warned that the death toll would only increase. Dana Ahmed, Amnesty International's Middle East researcher, said: 'We are witnessing a truly horrifying trend, with foreign nationals being put to death at a startling rate for crimes that should never carry the death penalty. 'Convincing states to call out and condemn Saudi rights abuses was never easy, given its deep pockets and geopolitical heft. With ongoing conflicts in the Middle East … scrutiny has dwindled even further,' she said. Amnesty said it had found foreign nationals who had been 'deceived and exploited' after being lured into drug trafficking while migrating for work, with rewards that did not justify the risk of a death penalty for their crime. It highlighted the case of seven Ethiopians and a Somali man now on death row accused of trafficking 153kg of cannabis estimated to be worth about $3.8m (£2.79m). According to the men's testimony in court documents, they were recruited with the promise of a 'meagre $267 per person'. The limited education and disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds of some foreign nationals on death row increased their risk of exploitation and made it more difficult for them to access legal representation in Saudi Arabia, according to Amnesty. Its report found a lack of access to legal representatives, inadequate consular support and no access to effective interpretation. At least four cases documented by Amnesty involved people who reported being subjected to torture or other ill treatment during pre-trial detention to extract confessions. Many also did not know the status of their appeals or when their execution might occur, with some only informed by prison officials a day before they were put to death. Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: 'The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. 'Saudi Arabia's allies in the international community must exert urgent pressure on the authorities to halt their execution spree and uphold international human rights obligations.' Saudi officials were contacted for comment.
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Indian Express
Exploited, executed: The forgotten foreigners on Saudi Arabia's death row for drug offences
For seven Ethiopian men and one Somali migrant, a promise of work and a meagre paycheck of just $267 (Rs 23,000) turned into a nightmare, one that now sees them awaiting execution in Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking. Their story, one of hundreds, is a part of a harsh pattern revealed by Amnesty International, and has raised alarm over the Kingdom's 'horrifying' execution spree for drug related crimes most of them foreign nationals. According to The Guardian, nearly 600 people have been executed in Saudi for drug offences over the last decade. Three out of four were foreigners from countries like Pakistan, Nigeria, Yemen, Syria, and Egypt. These were people who left home for opportunities and ended up facing punishment in a system Amnesty describes as 'grossly unfair' and covered in secrecy. After a temporary halt between 2021 and 2022, executions surged once again. In 2024 alone, 122 people were put to death for drug crimes. Just halfway through 2025, the toll stands at 118. The Guardian reports that Amnesty fears the number will only climb unless global pressure forces a shift. Dana Ahmed, Amnesty International's Middle East researcher said, 'These are people often coming from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds… They are promised a small reward, a few hundred dollars and they end up paying with their lives'. The case of the eight East African men illustrates this exposed reality. They were caught with 153 kg of cannabis, worth an estimated 3.8 million dollars and claim in court documents they were lured into the crime by traffickers during their search for employment. With no access to proper legal aid, minimal education, and little understanding of the language or legal process, their fate was sealed in a system they could not navigate. Amnesty's report points to a pattern of exploitation, coercion, and abuse, including accounts of torture and forced confessions during pre-trial detention. The report also mentioned that some prisoners were informed of their execution only a day in advance, leaving families with no chance to say goodbye or appeal for clemency. Many foreign inmates reportedly had no access to interpreters or consular support, making their legal defense virtually impossible. In several documented cases, prisoners didn't even know the status of their appeals. 'Executing someone who didn't understand their own trial, or who confessed under duress, is a obvious violation of international human rights,' said Kristine Beckerle, an Amnesty deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. 'The death penalty in these cases is not just inhumane it's fundamentally unjust.' Saudi Arabia maintains some of the world's harshest drug laws including capital punishment for non-violent offences. Yet rights groups argued that these laws disproportionately target migrant workers, the very people with the least power to defend themselves. As the world watches geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and continues to engage with Saudi Arabia economically and diplomatically, calls to hold the kingdom accountable on human rights issues have faded. But Amnesty is urging the international community not to turn a blind eye. 'These executions don't just represent numbers, they represent human lives many of which could have been saved with fair trials, proper legal aid, and compassion,' says Beckerle.
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- The Guardian
Saudi Arabia executing ‘horrifying' number of foreigners for drug crimes
Saudi Arabia has carried out a 'horrifying' number of executions for drug crimes over the past decade, most of which were of foreign nationals, according to Amnesty International. Almost 600 people have been executed over the past decade for drug-related offences, Amnesty International has found, three-quarters of whom were foreign nationals from countries including Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria and Egypt. After a temporary moratorium on drug-related capital punishments between 2021 and 2022, the executions jumped to record levels, with 122 in 2024 and 118 so far this year up until the end of last month. With little international scrutiny of what Amnesty describes as 'grossly unfair trials' and a 'chilling disregard for human life', the rights organisation warned that the death toll would only increase. Dana Ahmed, Amnesty International's Middle East researcher, said: 'We are witnessing a truly horrifying trend, with foreign nationals being put to death at a startling rate for crimes that should never carry the death penalty. 'Convincing states to call out and condemn Saudi rights abuses was never easy, given its deep pockets and geopolitical heft. With ongoing conflicts in the Middle East … scrutiny has dwindled even further,' she said. Amnesty said it had found foreign nationals who had been 'deceived and exploited' after being lured into drug trafficking while migrating for work, with rewards that did not justify the risk of a death penalty for their crime. It highlighted the case of seven Ethiopians and a Somali man now on death row accused of trafficking 153kg of cannabis estimated to be worth about $3.8m (£2.79m). According to the men's testimony in court documents, they were recruited with the promise of a 'meagre $267 per person'. The limited education and disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds of some foreign nationals on death row increased their risk of exploitation and made it more difficult for them to access legal representation in Saudi Arabia, according to Amnesty. Its report found a lack of access to legal representatives, inadequate consular support and no access to effective interpretation. At least four cases documented by Amnesty involved people who reported being subjected to torture or other ill treatment during pre-trial detention to extract confessions. Many also did not know the status of their appeals or when their execution might occur, with some only informed by prison officials a day before they were put to death. Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: 'The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. 'Saudi Arabia's allies in the international community must exert urgent pressure on the authorities to halt their execution spree and uphold international human rights obligations.' Saudi officials were contacted for comment.
