Ethiopians on death row in Saudi Arabia: Prisoners calling the BBC from their cells

A Desperate Plea from Death Row

The BBC has received direct calls from Ethiopian prisoners on death row in Saudi Arabian jails, revealing a harrowing situation for migrants accused of drug smuggling. These individuals, many of whom fled the devastating civil war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, are pleading for intervention, expressing profound despair and anger at their perceived abandonment by their own government. Habtom, one of the inmates who spoke to the BBC, described a grim reality where prisoners await their unknown fate, unable to comfort each other. The BBC's Tigrinya service managed to speak with seven of what could be as many as 200 Ethiopians facing execution, highlighting the scale of this humanitarian crisis.

The urgency of their calls is underscored by a significant increase in executions. In the first seven months of this year alone, 17 Ethiopians have been put to death, making them the highest number among non-Saudis. This figure starkly contrasts with Amnesty International's research, which recorded only two Ethiopian executions two years prior, but 35 in 2025. Five of these executions occurred on a single Monday, intensifying fears among those still incarcerated. This alarming trend suggests a worsening situation for vulnerable migrants caught in the Saudi legal system.

Allegations of Unfair Justice

Central to the prisoners' pleas are grave allegations of systemic due process violations within the Saudi judicial system. Habtom and other inmates claim they were denied access to lawyers, provided inadequate translation services, and even coerced into signing documents in Arabic without understanding their contents, effectively agreeing to their own sentences. Human rights organizations, including Reprieve, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Amnesty International, corroborate these accounts, noting a "near-total lack of transparency" throughout the entire legal process. They report that defendants are often left in the dark about their cases, unable to appeal without legal representation, leading to automatic upholding of sentences.

HRW's Nadia Hardman further detailed "mass sentences, mass trials that lacked any kind of due process," where individuals are detained indefinitely without knowing when their sentences will be carried out. While Saudi authorities, in statements accompanying executions, assert a clear process involving investigation, court cases, appeals, Supreme Court rulings, and royal decrees, these claims are directly contradicted by the experiences shared by the prisoners and the findings of international rights groups. The authorities' stated commitment to protecting citizens from "the scourge of drugs" appears to overshadow concerns for fair trial standards for foreign nationals.

The Broader Context of Migration and Execution

The surge in executions of Ethiopians is intricately linked to both the internal dynamics of Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia's evolving legal landscape. The brutal two-year civil war in Tigray, which ended in late 2022, left widespread devastation, prompting many like Habtom to seek refuge and economic opportunities abroad. Their perilous journeys often led them through dangerous routes, including Djibouti and Yemen, ultimately landing them in Saudi Arabia where they became vulnerable to exploitation. Habtom's own story exemplifies this, as he was offered more money to deliver a package, unknowingly carrying khat, a natural stimulant, which Saudi authorities classify as hashish smuggling.

Amnesty International researcher Dana Ahmed suggests that the uptick in executions could be connected to this increased migration from Tigray, alongside Saudi Arabia's "expanding use of the death penalty for drug-related offences in recent years." This confluence of factors creates a perilous environment for migrants, many of whom may be unaware of the severe penalties for drug-related crimes in Saudi Arabia or are coerced into illicit activities. The outcry from rights groups and influential Ethiopian figures, such as Patriarch Abune Mathias of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, following earlier executions, underscores the growing international concern over the fate of these vulnerable individuals.