The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has voiced concerns about a 31% global increase in executions in 2023, with Saudi Arabia among the highest executors. He argues that the death penalty violates the right to life, especially given that over 40% of cases involve drug-related offenses. Türk calls for an immediate halt to capital punishment, highlighting its discriminatory application and the risk of wrongful executions.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has raised alarming concerns regarding the notable rise in executions globally, particularly highlighting Saudi Arabia as one of the leading nations in death penalty enforcement. In 2023, executions surged by 31% in comparison to 2022, reaching the highest level in eight years. Türk articulated that such practices fundamentally contradict the principles of the right to life and human dignity.
During a session at the Human Rights Council on February 25, 2025, Türk noted that over 40% of executions worldwide are linked to drug-related offenses. He emphasized that international human rights frameworks dictate that the death penalty should only pertain to the most grievous crimes, specifically premeditated murder, underscoring the inappropriate application of capital punishment in many instances.
Despite a global trend toward the abolition of the death penalty—evidenced by 113 countries who have entirely eliminated it—nations like Saudi Arabia continue to apply it extensively. The consequences extend beyond the individuals condemned, affecting families and society at large. Türk highlighted that the death penalty is frequently wielded in a discriminatory manner, disproportionately impacting ethnic and religious minorities and marginalized populations.
Furthermore, he warned that the presence of the death penalty poses a threat to civil liberties, facilitating the targeting of activists and defenders of human rights. The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights corroborated Türk’s observations, indicating that Saudi Arabia’s actions have significantly contributed to this global rise in executions, with 65 carried out since the start of 2025, 33 of which relate to drug offenses—not classified as serious crimes under international law.
Finally, Türk urged nations still enacting the death penalty to halt its application immediately and pursue alternative, more humane judicial measures. He articulated that the death penalty neither achieves justice nor effectively deters crime, but rather risks executing innocents due to irrevocable judicial errors.
In conclusion, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has spotlighted the troubling increase in global executions, notably in Saudi Arabia, where the rate has significantly escalated. He advocates for the immediate suspension of the death penalty, highlighting its incompatibility with human rights and its discriminatory impacts. The evidence of executions related to lesser crimes further underlines the urgent need for judicial reform and a shift towards humane alternatives in capital punishment.
Original Source: shiawaves.com
