Saudi Arabia Executed 17 People on Drug Charges in Last 10 Days, UN Charges

Saudi Arabia executed 17 people convicted of drug offenses in the last ten days, the United Nations said. The individuals that were executed since November 10 were from Syria, Pakistan, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, the UN human rights organization said. At least 144 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia this year, with 81 people executed in a single day in March for terrorism-related offences. Some 69 people were executed in Saudi Arabia in 2021, after the Saudi government announced a moratorium on death sentences for drug-related offences in January 2021. The human rights organization Reprieve said on Monday that the executions are taking place now while the world’s attention is on Saudi Arabia’s neighbor Qatar as it hosts the World Cup international soccer tournament.