Dozens of Ethiopian nationals facing execution in Saudi Arabia have reached out to the BBC, describing desperation and alleging failures in due process. These individuals, many hailing from Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region, claim they were denied access to lawyers, adequate translation, and fair trials before being sentenced to death, often for drug-smuggling offenses.
One prisoner, identified only as Habtom, has been held in a jail in Khamis Mushait for over three years. He recounted his journey fleeing conflict and poverty in Ethiopia, only to end up on death row in Saudi Arabia. "One prisoner cannot comfort another. We have no choice but to cry. We are waiting for our turn, even though we do not know when it will happen," Habtom told the BBC, his voice filled with anguish.
According to Amnesty International, the number of Ethiopians executed in Saudi Arabia has significantly increased. While only two Ethiopian nationals were executed in 2025, 35 were put to death in the first seven months of this year, with five executions occurring on a single Monday. This surge could be linked to increased emigration from the Tigray region following the end of its civil war in late 2022, and Saudi Arabia's expanding use of the death penalty for drug-related offenses.
Habtom, like many others interviewed, is from Tigray and was convicted of smuggling hashish. In Saudi Arabia, judges have the discretion to impose a death sentence for such offenses. However, human rights organizations, including Reprieve, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Amnesty International, have raised concerns that due process is frequently not followed in these cases.
Rights groups report that defendants are often not granted access to legal counsel or court documents, and when translation is provided, it can be insufficient. Amnesty International researcher Dana Ahmed stated that while a right to appeal theoretically exists, defendants without lawyers are unable to submit appeals, leading to automatic upholding of sentences. "There is a near-total lack of transparency throughout the entire judicial process, from sentencing to Supreme Court review and ratification by the King. People on death row and their families are left in the dark about their fate," Ahmed said.
Habtom claims he was not allowed to speak to a lawyer or defend himself and was compelled to sign a document in Arabic, which he did not understand, agreeing to his sentence. Similar accounts have been shared by other prisoners. HRW has documented cases of "mass sentences, mass trials that lacked any kind of due process and people detained then just waiting with no idea when the sentence would happen."
The Saudi authorities did not respond to the BBC's request for comment regarding the fairness of the legal process. Official statements accompanying executions typically detail a process involving investigation, court proceedings, appeals, Supreme Court review, and a royal decree, emphasizing the country's commitment to combating drug trafficking.
Despite their dire circumstances, some prisoners manage to maintain limited contact with their families. Habtom, who still hopes to tell his family he is on death row only after his death, had initially dreamed of completing his education and supporting his parents, but the conflict in Tigray dashed those hopes, leading him to seek opportunities abroad. He found work as a goatherder after a perilous journey to Saudi Arabia in 2021, but was offered a chance to earn more money by his employers.