Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Araghchi: We have always supported Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity at all times, we still do in these difficult circumstances.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi from Beirut: Lebanon's independence and territorial integrity are of great importance to Iran, we support it against occupation.
Israeli army admits 3 soldiers of rank of Staff Sergeant were killed, 2 others injured in northern Gaza.
Occupied Palestine: Palestinian media: Martyrs and injuries as a result of the Israeli occupation firing on displaced people while they were waiting for aid west of Rafah.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in occupied Palestine: 3 martyrs, including a child, as a result of Israeli occupation forces bombing displaced persons' tents in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
Israeli media: Yedioth Ahronoth: Concern in "Israel" over changes within the US administration in recent days.
Al-Qassam Brigades says its fighters are engaging in fierce clashes with the occupation forces, killing and wounding soldiers east of Jabalia camp.
Israeli media platforms are circulating preliminary reports about a multi-causalty ambush in Jabalia camp, Gaza.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 35 martyrs, 75 injured in occupation targeting of civilians seeking food aid in Rafah, Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Da Silva: What is happening in Gaza is not a war, it is a genocide

UN rights chief: Saudi executions may amount to war crimes

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 15 Mar 2022 00:24
3 Min Read

High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, condemns the recent executions carried out by Saudi Arabia.

  • x
  • High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet
    High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet

On Monday, the UN human rights chief condemned Saudi Arabia for executing a record 81 people in a single day and urged the country to abandon the death sentence.

Michelle Bachelet said that war crimes may have been committed if persons were decapitated after court cases that did not provide adequate assurances of a fair trial.

Saudi authorities have executed on Saturday 81 nationals and residents for allegedly being involved in "terrorism" within the Kingdom.

Saudi media outlets commented on the incident by publishing statements saying that the local authorities "have committed the crime of executing 40 detainees in Al-Qatif in one single day." Riyadh executed 81 men, including seven Yemenis and one Syrian national, after they were convicted on charges including "terrorism", as per the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

In a statement, Bachelet said: "I condemn Saudi Arabia's mass execution on Saturday of 81 people on terrorism-related charges," adding that "This risks criminalizing people exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly."

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated: "Our monitoring indicates that some of those executed were sentenced to death following trials that did not meet fair trial and due process guarantees, and for crimes that did not appear to meet the most serious crimes threshold, as required under international law."

Related News

Head of US' Gaza aid group quits over humanitarian concerns

Uganda: UN halts rations for 1 million refugees, Trump aid cuts blamed

"I am also concerned that some of the executions appear to be linked to the ongoing armed conflict in Yemen," she said adding that "Implementation of death sentences following trials that do not offer the required fair trial guarantees is prohibited by international human rights and humanitarian law and may amount to a war crime."

Bachelet called on the Saudi authorities to put an immediate halt to all executions, declare a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, and commute the death sentences of those on death row.

She also urged the Saudi authorities to bring the country's counter-terrorism laws fully into "line with international standards."

Yemen condemns Saudi Arabia's crimes against humanity

The Acting Minister of Human Rights in the Sana'a government, Ali Al-Dailami, said in a statement to Al Mayadeen on Saturday that "Saudi Arabia took advantage of the events in Ukraine to carry out mass executions."

He explained that Saudi Arabia deliberately disregards the lives of Yemenis, and he held both the United States and Saudi Arabia responsible for the crimes against them. 

The Acting Minister of Human Rights in the Sana'a government, Ali al-Dailami, told #AlMayadeen: #SaudiArabia deliberately disregards the lives of Yemenis, and we hold both #SaudiArabia the #UnitedStates responsible for the crimes against them.#Yemen https://t.co/XST4PQEqf6

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 12, 2022

He stressed that "the Yemeni detainees in Saudi Arabia are illegal immigrants and are subjected to torture in the absence of any defense lawyer."

For his part, the Minister of Information in the Sanaa government, Daifallah Al-Shami, slammed  Al Saud's crimes and their mass execution of 81 people, including 41 from Qatif and 7 Yemenis, as "a major crime against humanity."

  • UN
  • United Nations
  • Yemen
  • Michelle Bachelet
  • Saudi Arabia

Most Read

Lebanon's PM Nawaf Salam meets with US envoy Morgan Ortagus in Beirut on April 5, 2025 (Dalati Nohra via AP)AP)

Morgan Ortagus to exit US role in Lebanon amid policy shift

  • Politics
  • 1 Jun 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025
It may well be due to the longstanding relationship between MI6 and HTS, via Inter Mediate, that Britain was the first Western country to recognise their assumption of government in Syria. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab El-Hajj)

How MI6 helped HTS seize Syria

  • Opinion
  • 31 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Army commanders tour the operations sectors of the Iraqi army Seventh Brigade, in Anbar, Iraq, Sunday, December 29, 2019 (AP)
Politics

Kataib Hezbollah warns US forces against postponing Iraq withdrawal

(@rafaelmgrossi)
Politics

Egypt urges 'Israel' to join NPT, citing regional nuclear imbalance

AP
Politics

US deal proposal allows Iran to enrich Uranium to Low-Level: Reports

screengrab
Politics

Former Biden spox. Matthew Miller says 'Israel' committed war crimes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS