Saudi Arabia: man executed following terrorism charges

Saudi authorities on August 21st announced the execution of a man on terrorism charges, in spite of advocates’ objections that he was convicted over offences he carried out as a minor, according to The New Arab via AFP.

“The death sentence was carried out against Jalal bin Hassan bin Abdul Karim Labbad, a Saudi national, in the Eastern Province”, according to the state news agency SPA.

Labbad had reportedly “committed terrorist crimes including joining a foreign terrorist organisation.”

The agency stated that he was convicted of killing a judge in Qatif governorate, and of firing and launching explosives at security forces in a bid to cause deaths.

Labbad was one of several people sentenced to death for offences they carried out when they were a minor.

In October 2023, global NGO Amnesty International said Saudi Arabia’s supreme court had issued a decision covertly to uphold the death sentence for Labbad, who was part of the Shia minority. Members of Saudi Arabia’s Shia minority have historically been repressed in the Sunni-dominant country. Labbad’s execution follows the announcement of planned executions of up to five Shia youths over their involvement in anti-government protests.

UN experts in May urged for the release of Labbad as well as four others convicted due to offences committed when they were not yet adults.

Saudi Arabia has been one of the most extensive exponents of capital punishment. The state has conducted the executions of at least 250 people throughout 2025. The culturally-conservative nation is on track to exceed the 338 executions that took place in 2024.

With Saudi Arabia slowly looking to diversify its economy and increase their cultural capital through global events like the football World Cup, global pressure on the country’s strict legal system could in turn increase.

The New Arab via AFP, SPA, Maghrebi.org