Saudi Arabia’s Death Row: Ethiopian Prisoners Seek Help Through BBC Calls
A Growing Crisis on Death Row
Ninoda.com – Seventeen Ethiopian nationals have been executed during the opening seven months of this year, marking the highest figure recorded for any non-Saudi group. Five of those executions occurred on a single Monday, intensifying concerns among human rights organizations about the treatment of foreign prisoners in the Kingdom.
According to Amnesty International research, the situation has deteriorated dramatically. Two years ago, only two Ethiopians faced execution, yet the number surged to thirty-five in 2025. Experts suggest this spike may connect to increased migration from Tigray following the devastating civil war that concluded in late 2022, alongside Saudi Arabia’s broader application of capital punishment for drug offenses.
Voices from the Cell
Among those awaiting their fate is Habtom, a young man from the Tigray region whose identity has been altered to ensure his safety. He has spent over three years confined in a facility within Khamis Mushait, a southern Saudi city. Desperation colored his voice when he successfully dialed the BBC Tigrinya service from a prison telephone.
“One prisoner cannot comfort another. We have no choice but to cry. We are waiting for our turn, even though we do not know when it will happen,” said Habtom.
Behind him, cellmates shouted, but his words carried a distinct anger. He felt his home government had done insufficient work to alter his circumstances. Habtom and numerous fellow countrymen had escaped conflict and economic hardship, traveling through Djibouti and Yemen seeking improved living conditions. Instead, they found themselves imprisoned and potentially condemned for drug-smuggling charges.
Legal Process Under Scrutiny
Habtom was convicted of smuggling hashish, a cannabis variety. Under Saudi law, judges possess discretion to impose death sentences upon guilty verdicts. However, multiple rights organizations argue that proper legal procedures are frequently bypassed in such cases.
“There is a near-total lack of transparency throughout the entire judicial process, from sentencing to Supreme Court review and ratification by the King. People on death row and their families are left in the dark about their fate.”
Dana Ahmed, a researcher for Amnesty International, explained that defendants often lack access to legal counsel or court documentation. When translation services are provided, they may prove insufficient. Without attorney representation, prisoners cannot file appeals, meaning sentences are automatically confirmed. Habtom claimed he never received an opportunity to consult with a lawyer or present his defense. He also asserted that he was compelled to sign an Arabic document accepting the verdict without comprehending its contents.
Broader Perspectives
The BBC interviewed seven prisoners out of dozens—possibly as many as two hundred Ethiopians—currently awaiting execution. Other nationalities, including Jordanians, Sudanese, and Pakistanis, share comparable circumstances, though Ethiopian numbers remain the largest.
Nadia Hardman, senior adviser for refugee and migrant rights at Human Rights Watch, reported that the organization has communicated with individuals connected to these cases. She described “mass sentences, mass trials that lacked any kind of due process and people detained then just waiting with no idea when the sentence would happen.”
Saudi officials did not provide direct responses to BBC inquiries regarding fairness allegations. Nevertheless, each execution is accompanied by an official press agency statement detailing a structured procedure: investigation, court proceedings, appeal, Supreme Court decision, and final royal decree. The government emphasizes that these measures demonstrate commitment to shielding citizens from drug-related harm.
Personal Sacrifice
Despite maintaining occasional communication with relatives through a wall-mounted telephone in his cell, Habtom chose to conceal his death row status. “I would rather they be told after I die than now,” he explained. He had originally envisioned completing high school and graduating, dreams now suspended alongside countless others in Saudi Arabia’s prisons.
