Saudi Arabia executed six Iranians for drug trafficking

The announcement today (01/01/2025) of the execution of six Iranians sentenced to death penalty for . The execution of the 6 Iranians for drug trafficking by Saudi Arabia provoked Iran’s reaction calling Saudi Ambassador to Tehran. CORVERSE The number of death row executions in the Sunni kingdom touched record number in 2024, with 330 executions, according to an account by the French Agency, based on official evidence. The six Iranians were executed in Damam, in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia, after being found guilty of “smuggling hash” into the kingdom, the Saudi Interior Ministry reported, without specifying the date of execution of the six Iranians. The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that it called on Saudi Ambassador to Tehran to give him a note of protest over the executions Tehran described as “unacceptable” that “break international law rules”. CORVERSE It is recalled that with an agreement, made via China in 2023, Tehran and Riyadh restored their bilateral diplomatic relations after years of hostility. In 2024, 117 people were executed for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia, including 85 foreigners, according to a French Agency count. Saudi authorities launched a campaign to combat drug trafficking in 2023, with a series of raids and arrests. The Gulf monarchy is a large market for captagon, a synthetic amphetamine-like drug produced in Syria and Lebanon, according to the UN. In 2024, Saudi Arabia performed a total of 338 people, according to the French Agency count, compared to 170 in 2023.