Saudi Arabia executed seven individuals on Wednesday, including five for drug trafficking, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The latest executions bring the total number carried out in the kingdom this year to 236, based on an AFP tally derived from official statements.
Among those executed were four Yemeni citizens—Yahya Lutfullah, Ali Azib, Ahmed Ali, and Salem Nahari—who were convicted of smuggling hashish into the country, the interior ministry confirmed in a statement published by SPA.
Additionally, a Pakistani national was also executed for drug trafficking, making him the 71st person executed for drug-related offenses in the kingdom this year.
Saudi Arabia has been grappling with a growing influx of captagon, a potent amphetamine smuggled in from Syria and Lebanon. In response, Saudi authorities launched an extensive anti-drug campaign last year, resulting in a surge of raids and arrests. The execution of drug traffickers has increased significantly since the kingdom ended a moratorium on the death penalty for drug cases two years ago.
In addition to the drug-related executions, two Saudi nationals were put to death on Wednesday for murder, according to the interior ministry.
Saudi Arabia remains one of the top three countries in the world for executions, following China and Iran, according to Amnesty International. Despite numerous criticisms from human rights organizations, which argue that the kingdom’s use of the death penalty is excessive, Saudi authorities maintain that capital punishment is essential for “maintaining public order” and is only implemented after all legal appeals are exhausted.
