Saudi must halt imminent execution of 65 Ethiopians, says HRW

Saudi Arabia must halt imminent executions for at least 65 Ethiopians sentenced to death for non-violent drug offences, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Wednesday.

The oil-rich monarchy has been through a dramatic liberalisation of its social policies since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took de facto power in 2017.

But despite promises to curb the use of the death penalty, there were a record-high 356 executions last year, including 243 for drug-related cases.

"Saudi Arabia's willingness to execute foreign migrants for non-violent offences following trials that denied them basic due process reflects a profound disregard for their rights and lives," said Nadia Hardman, HRW's senior refugee and migrant rights researcher, in a statement.

The country has already executed 73 people this year, including 47 in drug cases, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

More than 2,000 people have been executed during bin Salman's tenure, including children, political dissidents and a disproportionate number of foreigners, HRW said.

It said three Ethiopians executed on April 21 for "smuggling hashish" had fled war and poverty, braving the deadly "Eastern Route" across the Red Sea to Yemen in search of work in Saudi Arabia.

"Informed sources" told HRW they had been compelled to carry khat, a mild stimulant plant that is legal in Ethiopia and Yemen, but not in Saudi Arabia.

"The sources indicated the men had two or three extremely brief group court hearings, some by video link. The men had no legal representation or translators, and none were told the charges against them," HRW said.

The sources said hundreds of Ethiopians are thought to be in Saudi prisons.