Saudi Arabia has executed six Iranians convicted of drug trafficking, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday, January 1.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Interior, the executions took place in Dammam, on the kingdom’s Gulf coast. The Iranians were sentenced for “clandestinely introducing hashish” into Saudi Arabia. The exact date of the executions was not disclosed.
This latest action brings the total number of people executed for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia in 2024 to 117, based on an AFP tally of official figures.
Saudi Arabia ended a moratorium on the death penalty for drug-related offenses two years ago, leading to a sharp increase in executions. The kingdom also launched a widely publicized anti-drug campaign in 2023, which included numerous raids and arrests.
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, historically tense, were severed in 2016 after attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran by protesters opposing the execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. However, diplomatic ties were restored in March 2023 following a reconciliation mediated by China.
Saudi Arabia ranked third globally for the highest number of executions in 2023, trailing only China and Iran, according to Amnesty International. The rights group has documented executions in the kingdom since the 1990s and has consistently criticized Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty.Saudi authorities, however, maintain that capital punishment is necessary for public order and only implemented after all appeals are exhausted.
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