Human rights organisations across Africa, Asia, and Europe have raised urgent concerns over the looming execution of hundreds of foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia, many of whom were convicted of non-lethal drug offences.

Among those at imminent risk are scores of Egyptian, Ethiopian, and Somali men, currently held in Saudi prisons under death sentences.

According to figures from the Saudi Press Agency, 98 people have already been executed for drug-related offences in 2025, marking a dramatic increase. Rights groups say many prisoners now live in “a state of terror,” with executions carried out without warning and amid serious due process violations.

In Najran Prison, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, at least 37 Ethiopian and 27 Somali nationals are on death row. So far this year, 19 Somalis and 7 Ethiopians have been executed, most on charges of “smuggling hashish.”

In June alone, 12 Somali men and 3 Ethiopian nationals were executed, with fears that more executions are imminent.

End extrajudicial executions 

In Tabuk Prison, in the northwest, 26 Egyptian nationals are also on death row for drug-related crimes. At least three Egyptians have been executed this year, including Mahmoud Mohamed Khamis and Farhat Abu al-Saud, executed on May 24 and 25, respectively.

Other prisoners have reportedly been told they will be executed following the Eid al-Adha holiday, which ended on June 10. On that day, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions called on Saudi Arabia to halt the executions and end the death penalty for drug crimes, stating that violations of fair trial guarantees make such sentences “arbitrary and unlawful.”

Human rights organisations warn that many of those on death row may be victims of human trafficking, coerced or deceived into transporting drugs under threats or false promises. Yet most were denied a fair trial, with limited or no access to legal representation, consular assistance, or appeal processes.

Court documents and testimonies reviewed by rights groups point to systematic abuses, including torture during interrogations, reliance on forced confessions, and lack of legal transparency — all in violation of both Saudi law and international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Arab Charter on Human Rights.

Saudi authorities routinely withhold the bodies of executed prisoners and fail to notify families in advance, who often only learn of executions through the media.

The location of burial sites is typically not disclosed.

As of 17 June 2025, 154 executions have been reported this year, an 80% increase from the same period in 2024 — the year with the highest number of executions in Saudi Arabia (345). Of those executed this year, 69 were foreign nationals from 11 African and Asian countries, including Somalia (19), Pakistan (12), Ethiopia (7), and Egypt (3).

International law strictly limits the use of the death penalty to the “most serious crimes,” interpreted to mean crimes involving intentional killing. Drug offences do not meet this threshold. While Saudi Arabia observed a short-lived moratorium on drug-related executions from January 2021 to November 2022, it was never formally codified, and executions resumed at alarming rates.

Despite repeated promises from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to reduce the use of the death penalty, including pledges made as recently as March 2022, Saudi Arabia remains among the world’s top executioners. Rights groups note that some executions are carried out in secret and not publicly reported — with 49 of the 196 executions in 2022 never formally announced by state media.

In response to the ongoing crisis, over 30 human rights organisations have issued a joint appeal urging Saudi authorities to:

• Immediately commute all death sentences for non-lethal offences;
• Establish an official moratorium on executions;
• And reform legislation to align with international human rights standards.

Signatory organisations include:

African Academy of Diplomacy (AAD), ALQST for Human Rights, Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), ECPM, Amnesty-associated national coalitions, DAWN, Reprieve, European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR), MENA Rights Group, Women’s Action for Human Rights (WAHR), among many others across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

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The decision comes after the ambassador cited inappropriate behavior by Mrs. Hinda Culusow, the chief protocol of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

In a resignation memo addressed to the president, prime minister Hamza Abdi Barre, and the foreign minister Abshir Omar, Ambassador Salim Maow Haji expressed his concerns over the deteriorating situation within the Hassan Sheikh’s administration.

The memo read, “I am compelled to resign from my position as the Somali ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia due to the bad behavior and inappropriate actions of Mrs. Hinda Culusow. Her conduct has compromised the diplomatic norms and integrity of our nation.”

One of the key incidents that triggered Ambassador Salim Maow Haji’s decision was his exclusion from attending the Arab League summit held in Jeddah on May 19, 2023. As the Somali ambassador to the host country, Mr. Salim Maow Haji emphasized that his exclusion violated diplomatic norms.

“As the Somali ambassador to the host countryI was excluded from attending the Arab League summit in Jeddah on 19th May 2023 which is against the diplomatic norms,” stated Ambassador Salim Maow Haji. “Therefore, in order to protect my reputation and integrity and to uphold the diplomatic norms and the statehood of Somalia, I have decided to resign from my position.”

The resignation of the ambassador sheds light on the broader issues plaguing the Hassan Sheikh Mohamud administration. Reports suggest that the government is facing severe political turmoil both domestically and in its foreign dealings. The country is grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis, compounded by rampant corruption and and political instability.

Furthermore, concerns have been raised regarding the president’s appointments of family members to key positions within the government.

Most recently, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appointed his daughter as his international relations adviser, while his daughter-in-law assumed control over the country’s head of the bureau of standards. His two wives have also been in charge of investment projects including, but not limited to the FlyDubai airline. These nepotistic appointments have further exacerbated the chaos within the administration.

The resignation of Ambassador Salim Maow Haji highlights the deepening crisis within the Hassan Sheikh Mohamud government which ended its first year term in office.

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