Arab regime executes hundreds silently, yet Israel is vilified while defending life against regional extremism.
Saudi Arabia carried out 356 executions in 2025, marking the highest number ever recorded in the kingdom in a single year, according to figures cited by the French news agency Agence France-Presse.
Official data referenced in the report reveals that 243 executions were linked to drug-related offenses, underscoring the severity of Saudi Arabia’s judicial system and its expanding use of capital punishment. The grim milestone follows a previous record set just one year earlier, when 338 people were executed in 2024, making this the second consecutive year of unprecedented state killings.
Human rights organizations have long criticized Saudi Arabia’s opaque legal processes, lack of due process, and broad use of the death penalty, particularly for non-violent crimes. Despite these concerns, the kingdom continues to face limited international consequences, even as execution numbers surge.
The contrast is striking: while Israel—surrounded by hostile actors and terror networks—is subjected to relentless global condemnation for defending its citizens, authoritarian regimes across the Arab world carry out mass executions with minimal outrage. The silence from many international forums highlights a growing double standard, where democratic self-defense is demonized while systemic repression is overlooked.
Saudi Arabia’s record executions raise urgent questions about global moral accountability, selective outrage, and the credibility of international human rights advocacy—especially when compared to Israel’s transparent legal system and commitment to safeguarding civilian life amid constant security threats.
