Saudi human rights organisation ALQST has raised alarm over concerns that the Public Prosecution is seeking the death penalty against prominent Islamic scholar Abdul Aziz Al-Tarifi, who is being held in solitary confinement at al-Ha’ir prison in Saudi Arabia.
ALQST said it had no further information on recent developments in his case, including whether prosecutors were still pursuing the death penalty. The uncertainty has nevertheless raised fears for al-Tarifi’s fate amid the country’s escalating use of capital punishment.
Arrest and lack of transparency
Al-Tarifi, known for his independent views, was arrested in late April 2016 following online posts criticising Saudi-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya and certain religious practices of the state. His arrest came amid the detention of several other Islamic scholars, including Mohammed al-Hudaif, Hussain al-Radhi and Sulaiman al-Dowaish.
Little information about al-Tarifi’s case has emerged since his arrest, reflecting concerns over the lack of transparency surrounding detention and judicial proceedings in Saudi Arabia. ALQST called on authorities to drop all charges against him and immediately and unconditionally release him, along with others detained for peacefully expressing their opinions.
Record number of executions
According to ALQST, Saudi Arabia carried out 345 executions in 2024 and 356 in 2025, setting record annual figures despite pledges to reduce the use of the death penalty. The organisation said most executions were for non-lethal drug-related offences, while many others involved terrorism-related charges under laws it described as vague and overly broad.
In light of the scale of executions, ALQST urged Saudi authorities to establish an immediate official moratorium as a step towards abolishing the death penalty for all crimes.
The organisation also cited the case of Saudi journalist Turki al-Jasser, who was executed on 14 June 2025 on charges including terrorism offences and “high treason”. ALQST said the limited information surrounding his case raised concerns about the use of broad security-related charges against peaceful dissent.
Other scholars remain in detention
Islamic scholars Salman al-Odah and Hassan Farhan al-Maliki also remain in detention after the Public Prosecution sought the death penalty against them on vaguely formulated charges, according to ALQST. Both have been held since September 2017, with their trials continuing without a publicly known resolution.
