Crimeupdated 1h ago3 min read
Saudi Arabia Executes Five Citizens In Eastern Province For Terrorism-Related Offences
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Five Saudi citizens executed in Eastern Province for terrorism-related offences Crimes included joining a foreign terrorist organization and firing on security forces
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Five Executed in Eastern Province
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior carried out the death penalty against five citizens after they were convicted of committing “terrorist crimes,” including “joining a foreign terrorist organization” and firing at security forces, security headquarters, and security vehicles using weapons and bombs. The Ministry of Interior said the crimes also included “possessing weapons and live ammunition” and “providing support to finance and carry out terrorist operations within the Kingdom,” and it carried out the executions in the Eastern Province. The executions took place in the Eastern Province on Saturday, October 17, and the executions brought the total number of people put to death in Saudi Arabia this year to 188, according to an AFP tally based on official statements.
The five men were identified as Mohammed bin Munir bin Mohammed Al-Zaher, Ali bin Abdulrab Al-Hussein Al-Sheikh, Hassan bin Zaki bin Mohammed Al-Faraj, Rida bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Abdullah and Ali bin Hassan bin Ahmed Al Rih. The Ministry of Interior said the sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court and royal orders were issued for their implementation, after the men were referred to the competent court and sentenced to death.
Court Process and Warnings
The Ministry of Interior said an investigation was opened after the detainees were detained, and it said the sentence became final after the appeal and subsequent confirmation by the Supreme Court, after which a royal decree was issued to legally carry out the penalty. The Ministry of Interior warned “to those who contemplate committing such acts that they will face the corresponding legal punishment,” and it said it reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining security, achieving justice, and enforcing Sharia law. Security authorities arrested the men and completed investigations before referring them to the competent court, and the court sentenced them to death after finding them guilty of the charges.
The ministry invoked Quranic verses condemning corruption and violence and prescribing punishment for people who wage war against God and his messenger and spread disorder. European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights denounced the executions and said one of the five was sentenced over acts attributed to him as a minor.
Execution Totals and Context
The executions were carried out in the Eastern Province and the ministry of interior said the five Saudi nationals were convicted of “joining a foreign terrorist organisation,” opening fire on security forces and “providing support” for “terrorist operations inside the kingdom.” The executions brought the total number of death sentences carried out this year to 188, according to an AFP tally based on official statements, and it said since January the kingdom has put 15 people to death after terror convictions, most of them in the east, compared to 40 in 2025. The latest executions come as Saudi Arabia faces daily missile and drone attacks from the Houthis in Yemen, where Riyadh militarily backs the internationally recognised government in its long-running civil war against the Iran-backed group.
The Ministry of Interior stated that the crimes consisted of joining a foreign terrorist organization, firing at security forces, security headquarters, and security vehicles using weapons and bombs, and it said the ministry carried out the death penalty against five citizens. Amnesty International said Saudi Arabia was the world’s third-most prolific executioner between 2022 and 2025, behind China and Iran, and the kingdom insisted it is only applied when all appeals have been exhausted.