Marking World Day Against the Death Penalty (on 10 October), 17 UK Parliamentarians have signed a statement expressing deep concern over the use of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia and urging the Saudi authorities to implement a moratorium.
The statement, organised by ALQST, has been signed by 8 MPs and 9 Peers. It notes the alarming rate of executions in Saudi Arabia in recent years, which reached record levels in 2024, with 345 known executions, and 2025, with 356; more than 170 people have been executed in 2026 already. The statement highlights the disturbing extent to which Saudi Arabia executes both citizens and foreign nationals in ways that violate international human rights law. This includes its application for vaguely defined “terrorism”-related offences that may encompass peaceful dissent, as in the case of journalist Turki al-Jasser, executed in June 2025; its use against child offenders, with three such individuals executed since August 2025 and others remaining at grave risk; and its escalating use for non-lethal drug offences, disproportionately involving foreign nationals.
In light of these concerns, the Parliamentarians urge the Saudi authorities to establish an immediate moratorium on use of the death penalty with the aim of working towards its abolition, and in the meantime to limit its application to only the most serious of crimes, and prohibit the execution of people convicted of offences committed as minors.
ALQST thanks all of the Parliamentarians for signing this statement, which sends a strong message of support for international human rights law and the basic right to life.
