Shocking Numbers Revealed: Saudi’s 1,816 and Iran’s 975 Death Sentences Reveal Chilling Race to Kill!

Saudi Arabia(The Uttam Hindu): A disturbing race to the top is unfolding in the Gulf as Saudi Arabia and Iran carry out a shocking number of executions, raising alarm among human rights organizations worldwide. New reports show that Saudi Arabia has now overtaken Iran in the number of death sentences, with both countries executing hundreds — many for non-violent crimes like drug offenses.

According to Amnesty International’s latest findings, Saudi Arabia executed 1,816 people between January 2014 and June 2025. A staggering number of those condemned — nearly one in three — were sentenced for drug-related crimes, and 75% of those were foreign nationals. In June 2025 alone, Saudi authorities executed 46 people, including 37 convicted of drug charges. Amnesty noted that in some weeks, the kingdom averaged more than one drug-related execution per day, fueling global outrage.

Meanwhile, Iran is also seeing a rapid rise in executions. Norway-based Iran Human Rights reported that at least 343 people were put to death in Iran in just the first four months of 2025, marking a 75% increase over the same period in 2024. The surge follows Israel’s recent attacks on Iran, after which Iranian authorities have been accused of using the death penalty to silence dissent and punish alleged spies.

Human rights groups have slammed both governments, warning that these executions often follow unfair trials and are used as tools of repression. Activists are calling on the international community to pressure Saudi Arabia and Iran to halt this brutal practice, fearing many innocent or minor offenders may have been sentenced to death.