New Laws Saudi Arabia drop number of executions

Saudi Arabia has seen a dramatic drop in the number of executions in 2020 following the decision to abolish the death penalty for non-violent and drug

 

New Laws Saudi Arabia drop number of executions

Saudi Arabia has seen a dramatic drop in the number of executions in 2020 following the decision to abolish the death penalty for non-violent and drug-related crimes, according to government figures and independent observers.

For the past several years, Saudi Arabia has been one of the world's leading executioners. The Saudi government's Human Rights Commission said on Monday it had recorded 27 executions in 2020, according to the Associated Press (AP). In contrast, according to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documents, the highest number of 184 death sentences was handed down in 2019. In 2020, the number of executions dropped by 85%.

According to the Saudi Rights Commission: This clear reduction comes from the suspension of the death penalty for drug-related crimes. Responding to a question from the Associated Press, the commission said the moratorium on executions related to these crimes was enacted last year. This new guideline for judges has not been published anywhere and it is not clear whether this is being done under a royal decree as is usually the case. Earlier, the Associated Press reported that judges in Saudi Arabia were ordered last year to suspend the death penalty for crimes committed by minors and to make public flogging a punishment. Replace with years of imprisonment, social service or fines.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is behind the changes in Saudi Arabia, which have the support of his father, King Salman. He wants to take the country towards modernization so that the economy can be restructured by attracting foreign investors. For a long time, a large number of people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia were involved in minor and non-serious crimes, and judges had full authority over this, especially with regard to drug-related crimes.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia was the third most executed country, followed by China and Iran. According to the Human Rights Commission, there were only five people sentenced to death for drug-related crimes last year, who were sentenced in January.

Adam Kogel, deputy director of Human Rights Watch for the Middle East, said the drop in executions was a positive sign, but that Saudi officials needed to fix the country's judicial system that decides these sentences.