5 September 2025, GENEVA – Saudi Arabia must immediately halt planned and ongoing executions of persons convicted of offences allegedly committed when they were under 18 years old, UN experts* said today, following the execution of Jalal al-Labbad last month.
“We are dismayed by the execution of Mr. Jalal al-Labbad on 21 August, despite our grave concerns repeatedly communicated to the authorities,”** the experts said. “It is particularly disturbing that his family was not informed of the execution date and reportedly learned of his death through social media. We call on authorities to immediately return Mr. al-Labbad’s body to his relatives and permit an independent medico-legal examination.”
They warned that the execution of persons convicted for offences committed when the offenders were minors is prohibited under international law and constitute an arbitrary deprivation of life.
Expressing grave concern at the risk of execution facing Abdullah al-Derazi, Yusuf al-Manasif, Jawad Abdullah Qureiris and Hassan Zaki al-Faraj, the experts reiterated earlier concerns that the four were children at the time of the alleged offences, that their detentions have been assessed as arbitrary by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and that their trials were marred by serious fair-trial violations, including the admission of confessions allegedly extracted under torture, which were not promptly and impartially investigated.
The experts noted that Abdullah al-Derazi’s death sentence has reportedly been approved by the Supreme Court and awaits the King’s signature, while the Specialised Criminal Court has confirmed the death sentence of Yusuf al-Manasif, leaving both men at imminent risk of execution.
The experts recalled that international law categorically prohibits the imposition of the death penalty for offences committed by persons below 18 years of age, and urged Saudi Arabia—a State party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)—to ensure full compliance with article 37(a) of the CRC and refrain from carrying out any such executions.
They also stressed that any death sentence imposed following unfair trials, based on coerced confessions, or in discrimination against a religious minority violates international human rights norms, including those under the Convention against Torture and other relevant legal and procedural safeguards for those facing the death penalty.
The experts reiterated concerns about the imposition of the death penalty on the basis of terrorism-related charges despite the incompatibility of Saudi Arabia’s counter-terrorism legislative framework with international standards.
“Saudi authorities should immediately halt any planned executions in these and similar cases, commute all death sentences imposed for offences committed by children, and ensure retrials, where necessary, that fully meet international fair-trial standards,” the experts said. “Families must be informed in advance of any execution, remains must be returned promptly, and independent forensic scrutiny must be allowed in line with international standards.”
In light of the increased number of executions reported in 2025, the experts remind the Saudi authorities that there is no evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than other punishments, and calls upon them to establish a moratorium on executions, with a view to abolishing the death penalty.
The experts reiterated their request that the Government of Saudi Arabia take measures to protect the right to life of al-Derazi, al-Manasif, Qureiris and al-Faraj, and prevent further arbitrary executions.
*The experts:
- Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions;
- Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
- Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism;
- Ms. Ganna Yudkivska (Chair-Rapporteur), Mr. Matthew Gillett (Vice-Chair on Communications), Ms. Miriam Estrada Castillo (Vice-Chair on Follow-Up), Mr. Mumba Malila, and Mr. Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention;
- Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
**Joint communications SAU 2/2024 sent on 13 June 2024; SAU 4/2023 sent on 6 July 2023; SAU 1/2023 sent on 16 February 2023; and SAU 8/2022 sent on 13 June 2022; Working group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion No. 71/2024
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