Saudi Arabia carried out a series of executions in mid-October, including that of a woman convicted of killing her mother and attempting to kill her sister, alongside five men in the Eastern Province. Official statements described the five as terrorists; human rights groups described them as political prisoners sentenced under discretionary (ta’zir) penalties, one of whom was a child at the time of the alleged acts. The cases illustrate the kingdom’s continued use of the death penalty under Sharia, its stated commitment to public order and justice, and criticism from human rights organizations over the scope of capital punishment.
On Sunday, 18 October, authorities executed Sahar bint Faisal bin Fayyad Al-Hanini Al-Harbi, a Saudi national, in connection with a domestic killing in the Al-Qassim region of central Saudi Arabia. Court documents stated that she shot her mother, Amal bint Tulaihan bin Sa’noun Al-Harbi, dead and desecrated the body, while also attempting to murder her sister. The Ministry of Interior said the execution took place “in view of the heinous nature of the crime and the fact that her actions constituted a prohibited act and a grave offense, one of the gravest major sins and a severe act of filial disobedience.”
Following her arrest, investigations led to charges. A court convicted her; the ruling became final after appeal. The Supreme Court upheld the sentence, and a royal order was issued to enforce the punishment in accordance with Islamic law. The government reaffirmed its commitment to security, justice, and the enforcement of Sharia against anyone who attacks innocent people, sheds their blood, or violates their right to life and security, warning that such acts would face the prescribed punishment.
These developments occurred amid other recent executions. On or about Saturday, 17 October, five Saudi nationals were put to death in the Eastern Province on terrorism-related charges. The Ministry of Interior identified them as Mohammed Munir Mohammed al-Zaher, Ali Abd Rab al-Hussein al-Sheikh, Hassan Zaki al-Faraj, Reda Mohammed Ali Al Abu Abdullah, and Ali Hassan Ahmed Al Ribh. They had been convicted of joining a foreign terrorist organization, opening fire on security forces, premises, and vehicles, possessing weapons and ammunition, and providing support for terrorist operations inside the kingdom. The sentences were imposed under ta’zir (discretionary punishment), upheld by the Supreme Court, and carried out by royal order. Since January, the kingdom has executed 15 people after terror convictions, most of them in the east, compared with 40 in 2025.
Human rights groups framed the same five executions differently. The European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) said it had been monitoring the cases and that all five had been put to death under ta’zir sentences. ESOHR noted that the Ministry’s statement collectively accused the five of joining an external terrorist organization, firing at security personnel, premises, and vehicles; possessing weapons and ammunition; and financing and supporting terrorist operations. It did not specify the acts attributed to each individual or allege intentional killing. The announced charges therefore fall outside the international threshold of the “most serious crimes,” which is restricted to crimes involving intentional killing.
Hassan Zaki al-Faraj was sentenced to death for alleged offenses committed when he was a child aged 14. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had concluded that his detention was arbitrary and based on his participation in protests and had called for his release and compensation. Following his execution, at least 18 people have been executed for acts allegedly committed when they were children since King Salman came to power in 2015.
Earlier, on 16 October, reports indicated that Youssef al-Manasif was facing imminent execution. Human rights groups said his alleged crimes consisted of attending funerals that authorities deemed protests and joining demonstrations for religious freedom by the Shia minority, acts said to have occurred when he was aged 15 to 17. Arrested in 2017, he was convicted and sentenced to death by the specialized criminal court, a secretive tribunal handling terrorism-related cases. According to the charity Reprieve, he was coerced into signing a false confession after being tortured and only met his state-appointed lawyer for the first time in 2022—five years after his arrest. His death sentence was reportedly upheld by the Supreme Court. His family could face harassment or arrest if they speak publicly about the case and have not done so. Duaa Dhainy, a consultant for Reprieve and the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights, said, "There is nothing they can do now but wait.”
Activists have described a surge in executions under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Last year (2025) saw a record 356 people put to death; most of those executed were foreigners convicted of minor and non-violent drug crimes. According to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia was the world’s third-most prolific executioner between 2022 and 2025, behind China and Iran. The kingdom considers the death penalty necessary to maintain public order and insists it is applied only after all appeals have been exhausted.
Note: Compiled from Ministry of Interior statements, Khaleej Times, ESOHR, Reprieve, and contemporaneous reporting.
Source: DPN, Staff, News outlets, AI, October 19, 2026
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but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde
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