Watan-The Saudi Ministry of Interior has announced the execution of two citizens on charges related to terrorism.
In a statement, the Saudi Interior claimed that Abdulaziz At-Tuaim and Sami Jizani committed “a crime threatening national security, represented by their involvement in forming a cell targeting the killing of security personnel.”
The Saudi Interior further alleged that the two individuals recruited members, provided financial support, and facilitated a safe haven to carry out the cell’s plans, resulting in the killing of a security officer.
According to the statement, they were referred to the specialized court, which issued a verdict confirming their guilt and sentencing them to death. The verdict was upheld by the appellate court and the Supreme Court, with a royal order issued to implement the legally determined penalty, as stated in the statement announcing the execution in the region of Mecca.
تنفيذ حُكم القتل بجانيين بمنطقة مكة المكرمة أقدما على ارتكابهما جريمة مهددة للأمن الوطني تمثلت في اشتراكهما في تكوين خلية إرهابية تستهدف قتل رجال الأمن، والعمل على تجنيد عناصر وتوفير تمويل مالي ووكر لتنفيذ مخططات الخلية الإجرامية ما نتج عنه استشهاد أحد رجال الأمن. pic.twitter.com/kD6YdhWYlB
— وزارة الداخلية (@MOISaudiArabia) February 15, 2024
Escalating Saudi Death Sentences
Saudi Arabia has been executing various sentences related to terrorism and other criminal cases since the beginning of 2024.
At present, 54 countries still enforce the death penalty, while 112 countries have completely abolished it, with 7 countries applying it only under special circumstances for all crimes and 22 other countries having abolished it in practice due to non-application for at least 10 years.
Countries Leading in Executions
As for the global statistics on executions, reports from Amnesty International indicate that China ranks first in the world in executing death sentences.
In the Arab world, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are among the countries most frequently employing this punishment.
Regarding the specific case of Saudi Arabia, the organization states that it is one of the most active countries in implementing the death penalty globally. Amnesty International has documented numerous cases where authorities sentenced individuals to death for various reasons ranging from posting a few tweets to drug-related crimes, following trials that fell far short of meeting international human rights standards.