Saudi Arabia has carried out at least 340 executions this year, surpassing its own annual record, according to an AFP tally. The figure follows the execution of three people in Mecca on Monday after convictions for murder, pushing the total beyond the 338 recorded last year. Human rights groups report slightly higher numbers, but all agree the pace marks a new high for the kingdom, continuing a trend that has placed Saudi Arabia among the world’s leading executioners in recent years.

Here’s the thing: the majority of those put to death this year were convicted in drug-related cases, following Riyadh’s decision in late 2022 to resume capital punishment for such offenses after a temporary suspension. Rights organizations say many of the cases involved deeply flawed trials, including allegations of confessions obtained under torture and charges framed under vague terrorism laws. International law restricts the death penalty to the most serious crimes involving intentional kil-ling, a standard critics argue Saudi Arabia routinely fails to meet.

What this really points to is a widening gap between official assurances and actual practice. Despite pledges in 2020 to end executions for crimes committed by minors, recent cases show individuals executed for offenses allegedly carried out while they were under 18. Saudi Arabia is a signatory to international conventions banning such punishments, yet rights groups warn that several more juvenile offenders remain at imminent risk, underscoring growing concerns over the kingdom’s adherence to its own commitments and global human-rights norms.