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RIYADH — Human rights organizations have condemned Saudi Arabia’s execution of Jalal Labbad, a member of the Shi’a minority, for crimes allegedly committed when he was a minor. Labbad was executed on August 21, despite international legal prohibitions against the death penalty for juvenile offenders.
Amnesty International described the execution as “deplorable,” citing violations of due process and international law. Labbad was arrested in 2017 at age 21 and charged with offenses linked to protests he participated in at around age 17. Reports allege he was tortured during detention, denied legal counsel, and hospitalized due to severe health complications.
The execution contradicts prior assurances from the Saudi Human Rights Commission that juvenile death penalties for ta’zir crimes—offenses without fixed penalties under Islamic law—had been abolished. International law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, strictly prohibits capital punishment for crimes committed under the age of 18.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also condemned the execution, calling it part of a “disturbing escalation” of unlawful state actions that undermine religious and human rights protections.
You can read the full report on Jurist’s coverage of the case.
Saudi skyline Picture by otbttravel
