Six Iranian nationals have been executed in Saudi Arabia for their involvement in drug trafficking, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Wednesday, January 1. The executions took place in Dammam, located on the kingdom's Gulf coast, with the individuals convicted of "clandestinely introducing hashish" into the country. The exact date of the executions was not disclosed by the Saudi authorities.
This recent execution brings the total number of people executed for drug-related offenses in Saudi Arabia in 2024 to 117, as compiled by an AFP tally of official figures. The kingdom’s efforts to combat drug trafficking have intensified since it lifted a moratorium on the death penalty for such offenses two years ago, resulting in a sharp increase in executions.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia launched a high-profile anti-drug campaign, involving widespread raids and arrests across the country. The campaign is part of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing crackdown on drugs, which has seen a rise in executions related to trafficking.
The execution of the six Iranians comes at a time when relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have been historically strained, have seen some improvement. Diplomatic ties between the two nations were severed in 2016 after protests in Iran targeted Saudi diplomatic missions. However, in March 2023, China helped mediate a reconciliation between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia was ranked third globally in the number of executions in 2023, trailing only China and Iran, according to Amnesty International. The human rights group has consistently criticized Saudi Arabia's use of the death penalty, documenting executions in the kingdom since the 1990s. Despite international criticism, Saudi authorities defend capital punishment as a necessary measure to maintain public order, asserting that executions are carried out only after all appeals have been exhausted.
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