Saudi Arabia Executes Five Ethiopian Migrants Over Drug Charges

Saudi authorities sentenced five Ethiopian migrants to death for alleged hashish possession, carrying out the executions in July 2026. The men, all from Ethiopia's Tigray region, were tried in courts that lasted only minutes, without lawyers or translators, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). HRW researcher Joey Shea said the process treats the migrants’ lives as disposable and left dozens of others at imminent risk of execution; at least 79 Ethiopians face similar threats. The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights reported that Saudi Arabia has carried out at least 116 executions this year.

Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said it remains closely engaged with Saudi officials over the case, while the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has appealed for clemency. The five men had fled a dangerous migration route across the Gulf of Aden after a Yemeni contact allegedly hired them to deliver an unknown package, leading to their arrest in Saudi Arabia.