Saudi Arabia Executes 2 Shias Under Contentious Terrorism Law Despite Amnesty International Condemnation

Saudi Arabian officials recently announced the execution of two Shia Muslim men from Bahrain despite criticism of the men’s trial from Amnesty International.

Jaafar Mohammad Sultan and Sadeq Majeed Thamer were accused of supporting terrorist acts, protesting the Bahrain government, and smuggling explosives across the Saudi-Bahrain border.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the men were members of a “terrorist entity” who “communicated with terrorists inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, supporting them to carry out terrorist acts.”

A coalition of human rights organizations, including the Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, the Bahrain Forum for Human Rights, and SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights, condemned the executions, stating that the Saudi authorities’ execution crime today is considered “extrajudicial killing,” as both victims denied the accusations against them after being tortured and ill-treated. Furthermore, the Saudi authorities continue to use the charge of “terrorism” with its ambiguous definitions to punish opponents as part of a series of repressive campaigns purely for political reasons, primarily targeting the people of the Al Qatif region.

According to Amnesty International, the men were convicted in “grossly unfair” trials. The organization stated that the men were held in solitary confinement for three and a half months, were denied legal representation throughout their trial, and were told they would not see their families until they confessed. Amnesty also claimed that Sultan was tortured to the point of hospitalization for ten days. Amnesty International included the men in its 2022 Report on Death Sentences and Executions.

The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner criticized the 2017 Saudi terrorism law under which the men were charged earlier this month, saying it was “overly vague” and “does not appear to be in line with international law, as raised several times by Special Procedures.”

Both men were Shi’a Muslims, a large minority in Saudi Arabia who live primarily in the Al Qatif and Al Ahsa regions. According to a report by the Institute for Gulf Affairs, many Shi’a in the kingdom have reported widespread discrimination in areas ranging from education to criminal justice.