After Unfair Trials, Saudi Arabia Executes 3 Men without Legal Basis
As Saudi execution spree has increased, the Saudi interior ministry released a statement on Monday (May 22) confirming that three Saudi nationals were executed after being accused according to the anti-terrorism notorious law.
According to the interior ministry’s statement, the Saudi nationals Hassan bin Issa al-Muhanna, Haidar bin Hassan Muwais and Mohammed bin Ibrahim Muwais, all residents of the eastern region of the country which has a majority of opposition, had been put to death.
The three men were put to death without informing their families or disclosing any details about their execution procedure or the location of the execution. Their bodies have not yet been delivered to their families.
The three cases were not monitored at any of the judicial stages, as the Saudi government did not publish any official news about the arrest or their being wanted. Their trial sessions were secretly held, in which the defendants were deprived of their most basic rights to appoint a lawyer or to defend themselves.
Saudi Arabia has been witnessing an escalating and widespread repression campaign against any opposition attempt, especially against the people of the eastern region, which witnessed a pro-democracy uprising in coincidence with the 2011 Arab Spring revolutions. However, the move was met by a fierce crackdown campaign where a large number of people including minors were detained and some of them executed despite their early age.
Saudi Arabia remains one of the most prolific executioners in the world. Since the start of 2023, 35 death sentences have been carried out; one of these executions took place during the fasting month of Ramadan. 63 prisoners are currently at imminent risk of execution, including nine minors.
In this regard, we affirm that these death sentences are completely illegal, as they were issued by a bloody regime after a politicized and illegitimate trial that only aims to legitimize the Saudi regime’s human rights violations.
