Saudi Arabia Executes a Pakistani National in the Makkah Region

A Pakistani national has been executed in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia after a court convicted him of heroin smuggling. The account comes from the Saudi Ministry of Interior, and it does not name him.

In this article we set out what the ministry reported about the case, and what it left out. Here is everything you need to know.

What was reported about the Pakistani national

The ministry said the case went through the judicial process. The death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court and then approved for implementation by a royal order. The execution was carried out in the Makkah region.

The offence named is heroin smuggling. No quantity is given. Authorities reiterated their warning against drug trafficking and the severe penalties imposed for such offences.

The individual's identity has not been disclosed. This report does not add a name, a home district, or a date for the offence.

Why it matters

An execution reported without a name cannot be checked against a family or a case file from the outside. What can be stated is the ministry's account: a conviction for heroin smuggling, a Supreme Court ruling, a royal order, and an execution in the Makkah region.

• The person is described as a Pakistani national
• The place is the Makkah region
• The conviction is for heroin smuggling
• The source is the Saudi Ministry of Interior
• The Supreme Court upheld the sentence
• A royal order approved implementation
• The name was not released

What this report does not know

1. The person's name.
2. The amount of heroin cited in the case.
3. The date of the offence or of the execution.
4. Any statement from Pakistani officials. None is in this account.

What happens next

A name, if the ministry or Pakistani authorities publish one, would allow the case to be identified. We will update this article if that happens.

Our verdict

The Saudi Ministry of Interior said a Pakistani national was executed in the Makkah region after a heroin-smuggling conviction. The Supreme Court had upheld the sentence and a royal order approved it. His identity was not disclosed.

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