Saudi Arabia’s escalating use of the death penalty — including the reported execution of journalist Turki al-Jasser — has drawn condemnation from European human rights advocates, who warn that capital punishment is increasingly being used as a political weapon to silence dissent.
A report released today by Human Rights Watch (HRW) reveals that Saudi authorities have carried out 179 executions in the first seven months of 2025 — a pace that, if sustained, would exceed the kingdom’s previous record for annual executions. The group alleges that a significant proportion of those put to death were convicted after trials that failed to meet international standards of fairness.
Turki al-Jasser, a Saudi journalist known for his anonymous reporting on corruption and human rights abuses, was arrested in 2018 and accused of running a Twitter account critical of the royal family. HRW says credible sources indicate that al-Jasser was executed in June this year, following years in detention without public trial. The Saudi government has not confirmed the execution, and requests for comment from its embassy in London went unanswered.
“Saudi Arabia is using the death penalty as a tool of repression,” said Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at HRW. “In cases like Turki al-Jasser’s, the authorities are not merely punishing a crime — they are eliminating a voice.”
While the events are taking place far from European soil, the report has reverberated across the continent’s rights community. The European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights has already called for an urgent debate, with MEPs from multiple parties warning that the executions threaten to normalise the targeting of journalists and activists worldwide.
“This is not just about Saudi Arabia,” said Hannah Neumann, a German Green MEP and vice-chair of the subcommittee. “If we look the other way, we are signalling that authoritarian states can murder their critics with impunity.”
The UK Foreign Office expressed “deep concern” over the HRW findings, noting that Britain has “consistently opposed the death penalty in all circumstances.” A spokesperson added: “We urge Saudi Arabia to halt executions, especially for non-violent offences, and to respect due process and the right to freedom of expression.”
France and Germany issued similar statements through their foreign ministries, though neither indicated any immediate change to bilateral relations with Riyadh. Critics argue that such responses, while rhetorically firm, are unlikely to shift Saudi policy without concrete economic or diplomatic measures.
Andrew Smith of the London-based campaign group Reprieve said European governments needed to move beyond “hand-wringing” and consider suspending certain arms sales or high-level engagements. “It is not enough to issue statements of concern,” Smith said. “We need to show that there is a cost to executing journalists and protesters. As long as Riyadh knows its strategic and commercial ties remain intact, it will keep pushing the boundaries.”
Saudi Arabia maintains that the death penalty is applied in accordance with Sharia law and reserved for the most serious crimes, including murder, terrorism and drug trafficking. It denies targeting individuals for their political beliefs or journalistic work. In recent years, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has defended the kingdom’s justice system as “fair and impartial,” while insisting that reforms are ongoing.
Yet the HRW report points to patterns suggesting a link between political activism and capital charges. Among the cases highlighted is that of a Shia cleric executed in March after calling for greater religious freedom, and a university student reportedly beheaded in April for participating in protests.
For European rights advocates, such incidents risk eroding hard-won global norms. “When a state uses the death penalty not for violent crimes, but for speech or peaceful activism, it is attacking the very principles on which the international human rights system is built,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
The European Union formally abolished the death penalty among its members decades ago, and in 2021 launched the “EU Guidelines on Death Penalty” to coordinate diplomatic efforts against its use worldwide. An EU official speaking on condition of anonymity said the bloc was “considering a range of responses” to the HRW findings, but cautioned that any measures would need unanimous backing from member states — a challenging prospect given varying national priorities in the Gulf.
Economic ties complicate the picture. Saudi Arabia remains a major energy supplier and investment partner for several European economies. Trade between the EU and the kingdom totalled €55 billion last year, and major European firms continue to compete for contracts linked to Riyadh’s Vision 2030 development programme.
“That’s the reality,” said a Brussels-based diplomat familiar with Gulf policy. “We can deplore the executions, but there are member states who will not risk alienating Saudi Arabia over human rights concerns. Until that changes, statements will be the main tool.”
Still, campaigners hope the case of Turki al-Jasser will galvanise public opinion. Press freedom organisations have pledged to lobby European capitals to demand an independent investigation into his fate. “This is about sending a message that journalists cannot simply vanish into a death chamber,” said Christophe Deloire, secretary general of Reporters Without Borders. “If we fail here, we embolden every regime that thinks it can kill the messenger.”
For now, Saudi Arabia shows no sign of halting its execution spree. The HRW report notes that 12 prisoners are currently on death row for alleged offences linked to political activism, with several believed to be at imminent risk of execution.
As Europe weighs its response, the words of Lama Fakih carry a grim warning: “Every time an execution like this passes without accountability, the space for free expression shrinks — not just in Saudi Arabia, but everywhere.”
Main Image: – Eigen werk via Wikipedia
