Egypt Daily News – On Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior announced the execution of four individuals, including three Egyptian nationals, bringing the total number of Egyptians executed in the Kingdom over the past three days to six. This development has revived international concern over a United Nations report highlighting the potential execution of 26 Egyptians currently held in Tabuk prison on drug-related charges.
According to the ministry’s statement, the three Egyptians, Saeed Suleiman Saleh Dakhil, Ahmed Gharib Suleiman Mohamed, and Khaled Saleh Salem Saleh, were convicted of smuggling amphetamine pills and hashish into the Kingdom.
A Saudi citizen, Awad bin Muslim bin Suleiman Al-Dhibani, was found guilty of receiving the smuggled substances. The statement added that the defendants were arrested, formally charged, tried, and sentenced to death.
Their verdicts were upheld by the appeals court and the Supreme Court, and a royal decree was issued to carry out the executions. The death sentences were implemented in Tabuk on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
These executions follow the ministry’s announcements on Thursday and Friday of executions of other Egyptian nationals, also in drug-related cases in Tabuk.
Earlier in June, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights warned of the imminent execution of 26 Egyptians in Saudi Arabia on similar charges. In a statement, UN Special Rapporteur Morris Tidball-Binz urged the Saudi government to immediately halt the executions, stating they would violate international law.
“The government’s claim that applying the death penalty for offenses like drug trafficking, possession, and distribution complies with international law is inconsistent with its legal obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” Tidball-Binz said.
He emphasized that “the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of life is a fundamental principle of international law and must not be compromised.” The report also mentioned that the 26 Egyptian detainees in Tabuk had allegedly been informed that their executions would take place shortly after the Eid al-Adha holiday.
This follows the execution of two Egyptians from the same group in late May, reportedly without prior notification to their families.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty, particularly in non-violent offenses such as drug trafficking, calling for legal reforms and greater transparency.
