Human Rights Watch stated on Monday that Saudi authorities announced the execution of Hassan Zaki al-Faraj on October 17, 2026. Al-Faraj was convicted of crimes he is alleged to have committed when he was 14 years old. The organization also reported that the Supreme Court has reportedly confirmed the death sentence of another man, Yusuf Al-Munassif, who was convicted of offenses allegedly committed at ages 15 and 16, placing him in immediate danger of execution.
At least three other men, convicted of crimes they allegedly committed as children, remain on death row despite allegations of torture, coerced confessions, and prolonged solitary confinement. Joy Chea, a senior researcher for Saudi Arabia at Human Rights Watch, condemned the execution of al-Faraj as incompatible with human conscience. She cited evidence tainted by torture and documented unfair trials, noting that the Supreme Court’s recent decision makes the risk of executing Al-Munassif extremely high.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights reported that the Supreme Court recently upheld Al-Munassif’s death sentence. In October and November 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court issued death sentences against Al-Munassif, al-Faraj, Ali Al-Mabouq, Jawad Qarairis, Ali Al-Subaiti, and Mahdi Al-Mahsin. These sentences were based on terrorism charges related to acts allegedly committed during their childhoods.
Al-Faraj was arrested on November 27, 2017, and held in solitary confinement for six months. He faced various counter-terrorism charges, including one regarding an act committed at age 14, such as meeting other detainees. On November 3, 2022, the court sentenced him to death despite claims of torture used to extract his confession. Documents reviewed by Human Rights Watch show that Al-Munassif was arrested on April 6, 2017, and Al-Mabouq on January 29, 2018. Al-Munassif was detained for protesting the treatment of the Shia minority and attending funeral processions in 2011 and 2012.
Both men were sentenced to death on November 2, 2022, under vague anti-terrorism laws, largely based on confessions their lawyers claimed were extracted through torture. Their appeals, filed on March 19, 2025, argued they were minors at the time of the alleged crimes. However, the appellate court rejected this argument on August 26, 2025, relying on dates within the confessions.
Jawad Qarairis was arrested on December 31, 2020, and sentenced to death on November 5, 2022, for acts allegedly committed at ages 15 and 17. He endured 270 days of solitary confinement. His sentence was ratified on March 2, 2025. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded in November 2024 that the detention of Al-Munassif, al-Faraj, and Qarairis was arbitrary, stemming from their exercise of freedom of expression.
Saudi authorities executed Ali Al-Subaiti on April 9, 2026, for crimes allegedly committed at age 12. Although Saudi law abolished the death penalty for those under 18 in non-terrorism cases in 2018, it remains applicable under the 2017 anti-terrorism law. Human Rights Watch continues to document the misuse of these laws to silence opposition and notes that none of the eight men likely received fair trials due to systemic violations of due process.
This report was produced by the HuMedia newsroom.
