Death Looms for 37 Ethiopian Men in Saudi Arabia Amid Fears of Unfair Trials and Human Trafficking
A chilling alarm has been raised by 31 civil society and human rights organizations over the fate of 37 Ethiopian men facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia for drug-related offenses. This warning comes amidst a dramatic surge in executions for non-lethal drug crimes, with 98 individuals already executed in 2025, mostly foreign nationals. The joint statement, released on June 17, 2025, expresses grave fear for the lives of detainees, particularly Ethiopian, Somali, and Egyptian nationals, highlighting an imminent risk of execution for hundreds of foreign nationals in the kingdom.
The situation is dire, with 19 Somali and seven Ethiopian nationals publicly reported to have been executed this year for smuggling hashish. Three Ethiopian nationals were executed on June 16 alone, leaving others in constant fear of meeting the same fate at any moment. The 37 Ethiopian men, along with 27 Somali nationals, are being held on death row in Najran Central Prison, while 26 Egyptian nationals are detained in Tabuk Central Prison. These detainees are alleged to be likely victims of human trafficking, coerced or deceived into transporting illicit substances, and were not given the opportunity to plead their innocence in court.
The organizations behind the statement, including Reprieve, ALQST for Human Rights, and the African Academy of Diplomacy, point to systemic violations of fair trial rights. These include denial of legal representation, absence of consular support, and the use of torture-tainted confessions as primary evidence during trials. Such practices are in breach of both Saudi domestic laws and international obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Arab Charter on Human Rights. The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions has called on Saudi Arabia to halt these executions and abolish the death penalty for drug offenses, stating that violations of fair trial guarantees render such sentences arbitrary and unlawful.
Beyond the legal concerns, the cruelty in how executions are carried out is extreme. Families are often not informed of execution dates and may only learn of their loved ones’ deaths through the media. In many cases, bodies are not returned, and burial sites are not disclosed, adding to the anguish of those affected. The organizations urge the Saudi government to commute all death sentences for crimes that do not meet the threshold of "most serious crimes" under international law, to declare an official moratorium on executions, and to revise domestic legislation that permits the death penalty for offenses not involving intentional killing.
As the world watches, the fate of these detainees hangs in the balance. The international community must come together to demand fair trials, an end to the death penalty for non-lethal offenses, and justice for those who may have been wrongly accused or coerced. The lives of 37 Ethiopian men, and hundreds of other foreign nationals, depend on it. In a year that has already seen 154 executions in Saudi Arabia, with 98 for drug-related offenses, the need for urgent action has never been more pressing.
