Human Lives Human Rights: The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights has disclosed confirmed information indicating that the death sentence has been resentenced against minor protesters following a retrial that resulted in new rulings, overturning previous decisions that had been submitted to the Supreme Court.
Details obtained by the organization reveal that a series of sessions were held over recent months, culminating in a lengthy hearing on February 25, 2025. During this session, rulings were pronounced for several individuals, including minors Youssef Al-Manasif and Ali Al-Mabiouq, as well as Muhammad Al-Labbad, Muhammad Al-Faraj, and Ahmed Al-Dagham, all of whom appeared in court with shackled legs and amid a heavy military presence.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights condemned the imposition of the death sentence on individuals facing minor charges according to international law, viewing it as a grave violation of the right to life and a form of cruel, systematic torture of both detainees and their families. The organization criticized the trials, which followed years of threats of capital punishment, and highlighted the lack of fairness and accountability in the judicial process, noting that detainees were not given adequate opportunities for self-defense and faced fabricated charges.
The organization asserted that the retrials, occurring in the wake of widespread international criticism, are part of a Saudi attempt to create an appearance of compliance with human rights standards. However, the re-imposition of the death penalty undermines this narrative, especially since there has been no accountability for those involved in torturing the detainees, nor any investigations into these abuses.
Particularly alarming is the fact that minors were among those resentenced to death. This practice contravenes both local and international laws, which prohibit capital punishment for individuals who were under 18 at the time of their alleged offenses. The Public Prosecution has attempted to counter this claim by disputing the timelines of certain charges; however, the organization views this as an effort to uphold harsh death sentences while circumventing legal responsibilities.
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has previously classified the death sentences against minors in Saudi Arabia as arbitrary. The resentencing of these individuals is seen as a blatant disregard for this assessment, as well as a violation of Saudi Juvenile Law and international laws.
Amid rising execution rates—totaling 65 in the first two months of 2025 and increasing from prior years—the resentencing of detainees exemplifies Saudi Arabia’s persistent approach toward capital punishment. The European Saudi Organization concluded that these sentences reflect the country’s evasive and manipulative attitude toward human rights issues, failing to produce a genuine positive impact on the affected individuals and their families.
