Saudi Arabia executed six Iranians on charges of smuggling hashish, a concentrated form of cannabis, into the country, according to reports by Reuters and AFP citing Saudi state news agency SPA on the 1st of the month (local time). The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced that these individuals were executed in Dammam for secretly bringing in hashish. However, the date of the execution was not specified. Saudi Arabia had resumed executions for drug offenses in November 2022 after previously suspending them due to international criticism.
According to AFP, Saudi Arabia executed 117 people last year alone for drug trafficking offenses. Amnesty International reports that as of 2023, Saudi Arabia was the third-highest country in the world for executions, following China and Iran. Saudi Arabia maintains that the death penalty is necessary for maintaining public order and is only used after all legal procedures are completed.
Iran strongly protested to Saudi Arabia over this incident. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement indicating that the Saudi ambassador in Iran had been summoned, and stated, “Saudi Arabia’s actions are unacceptable and violate international laws and norms.”
The incident has raised concerns about potential rifts in relations between the two countries. Known as rivals in the Middle East, the Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and the Shia-majority Iran had severed diplomatic ties and were in conflict for years before agreeing to normalize relations in March 2023, following mediation by China.