Saudi Arabia Escalates Executions: New Crimes Against Political Detainees

The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR) strongly condemns the Saudi authorities’ execution of Ali Al-Sbeiti and Mustafa Al-Sbeiti on Thursday, April 9, 2026. This marks a dangerous escalation, reflecting the continued use of the death penalty as a tool of political repression and a violation of the right to life.

According to available information, Ali Al-Sbeiti was arrested on October 23, 2017, following a violent raid on his home during which property was damaged. He was later sentenced to death on October 30, 2022. Mustafa Al-Sbeiti was arrested on November 9, 2017, after a raid in the Al-Mashari neighborhood in Qatif, during which he was shot and left partially paralyzed. He received the same sentence on the same date.

BFHR stresses that Ali Al-Sbeiti’s case raises particularly serious concerns. He was detained at a young age, and some of the charges against him relate to a period when he was still a minor. Moreover, these charges do not meet the threshold of the “most serious crimes” under international law. Available information indicates that the trial fell short of even basic standards of fairness: he was denied access to legal counsel and contact with his family, subjected to prolonged solitary confinement and ill-treatment, and ultimately coerced into confessing under torture.

BFHR considers these cases part of a recurring pattern, in which broadly framed, security-related charges are used to criminalize peaceful activities, in the absence of transparent and verifiable evidence, and with reliance on confessions of questionable validity. Judicial proceedings in such cases raise serious concerns about the independence and integrity of the judiciary.

In the same context, BFHR points to the increasing use of the death penalty in cases involving prisoners of conscience, including the case of Saud Al-Faraj. These practices reflect a troubling tendency toward the use of extreme punishments to settle political scores, amid the absence of effective accountability mechanisms or meaningful judicial review, and the dismissal of defendants’ complaints regarding torture and procedural violations.

BFHR affirms that the use of counterterrorism laws in their current form to criminalize freedom of expression and participation in peaceful protests constitutes a clear violation of fundamental rights. It also undermines international obligations related to fair trial standards and the protection of human dignity—particularly in cases involving individuals who were minors at the time of some of the alleged acts.
Accordingly, BFHR calls for:
•    An immediate halt to executions, particularly in cases involving political charges or procedural violations. 
•    A review of sentences issued against defendants who were denied fair trial guarantees. 
•    Independent and transparent investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment. 
•    Amendments to counterterrorism legislation to ensure it is not used to restrict fundamental freedoms. 
•    The release of all prisoners of conscience. 

BFHR emphasizes that the continuation of such policies will deepen the human rights crisis and reinforce a climate of fear, in contradiction with the basic principles of justice and the rule of law.