Authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have executed at least 100 people in 2023, according to human rights watchdog Amnesty International.
In a statement on Friday, the activists said they documented several cases in which people had been sentenced to death for social media posts or drug-related offenses in "grossly unfair trials that fell far short of international human rights standards."
"The authorities' relentless killing spree raises serious fears for the lives of young men on death row who were under 18 at the time of the crimes," Amnesty said.
In August, a retired school teacher, Mohammed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, was sentenced to death over his social media activity. Charges against him included "betraying his religion," "disturbing the security of society," and "conspiring against the government."
The executions are widely seen as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's efforts to eradicate dissenting voices in the kingdom.
A report published earlier this year said that 129 people have been killed on average each year since 2015. In 2022, authorities executed 196 people—the highest number in 30 years, according to Amnesty International.
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