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    Bahrain Forum for Human Rights Condemns Saudi Executions as Political Repression

      Mustafa (L) and Ali (R) al-Sabaiti who were executed by Saudi regime on Thursday, April 9, 2026.

      The Bahrain Human Rights Forum on Thursday condemned the execution of two Saudi detainees, describing the move as a dangerous escalation and part of a broader pattern of using capital punishment to silence political dissent.

      In a statement issued April 9, the Forum said Saudi authorities carried out death sentences against Ali al-Sabaiti and Mustafa al-Sabaiti, calling the executions a violation of the right to life and an abuse of judicial processes.

      According to the Forum, Ali al-Sabaiti was arrested in October 2017 following a raid on his home, with a death sentence handed down in October 2022. Mustafa al-Sabaiti was detained weeks later after a separate raid in Qatif, during which he was reportedly shot and left partially paralyzed, before receiving the same sentence on the same date.

      The group raised particular concern over Ali al-Sabaiti’s case, stating that some of the charges against him dated back to when he was a minor and did not meet the threshold of most serious crimes under international law.

      It added that both cases were marked by due process violations, including denial of legal representation, restricted family contact, prolonged solitary confinement, and coerced confessions obtained under torture.

      The Forum said the executions reflect a recurring pattern in which broadly defined security charges are used to criminalize peaceful activity, with courts relying on contested confessions and proceedings that “raise serious doubts” about judicial independence.

      It also pointed to a growing trend of implementing death sentences against prisoners of conscience, citing the case of Saud al-Faraj as part of an escalating use of harsh penalties in politically sensitive cases.

      The Forum further criticized the use of anti-terrorism laws to prosecute individuals for expression and participation in peaceful protests, alleging that such practices violate international standards on fair trials and human rights protections—particularly in cases involving defendants who were minors at the time of the alleged offenses.

      The Bahrain Human Rights Forum called for an immediate halt to executions in cases involving political or procedural concerns, a review of disputed convictions, and independent investigations into allegations of torture. It also urged reforms to anti-terrorism legislation and the release of prisoners of conscience.

      “The continuation of these policies will only deepen the human rights crisis and entrench a climate of fear,” the Forum said, warning that such practices undermine the principles of justice and the rule of law.