‘I’m a dead man walking’: The Ethiopian migrants waiting on Saudi Arabia’s death row
Living on Death Row: Ethiopian Migrants Face Execution in Saudi Arabia
I m a dead man walking – Each morning brings uncertainty for Amanuel, who lives in constant fear that a knock at his cell door could signal his final moments. There are no warning calls or last meals—executions in Saudi Arabia frequently come without notice. “I’m a dead man walking,” he explains. “After my friends were executed, I don’t eat food, I don’t drink water.” This young prisoner, whose real name remains undisclosed for his safety, has spent several years behind bars. CNN secured his testimony from within Khamis Mushait prison, located in the southwestern region of the kingdom.
A Growing Crisis for Migrants
According to human rights organizations, approximately 60 Ethiopians face death sentences on drug-related charges in a single cell at Khamis Mushait, with additional prisoners held elsewhere in the facility. Maya Foa, who leads the human rights organization Reprieve, emphasized that these situations are not isolated incidents. “There is a clear pattern of Saudi authorities targeting vulnerable migrants,” she stated. “Often, their true ‘crime’ appears to have been crossing the border, in search of a better life.”
CNN has also received accounts from families of three additional men awaiting execution on comparable charges. All relatives reported learning about the arrests merely weeks following sentencing, through informal community networks rather than official channels from either Ethiopian or Saudi authorities. “What I’m praying for, and what I need from the world, is to put positive pressure on the Saudi government to reconsider this decision,” said Selam, a sibling of one of the imprisoned men, who requested anonymity to safeguard her family. “Please, Saudi government, we beg your mercy to my brother and others in a similar situation.”
Record-Breaking Executions
Saudi Arabia executed 356 individuals last year, marking the highest figure in recent memory according to NGO-compiled records. Of these, 240 had been convicted of drug offenses, with the majority being foreign nationals. By comparison, just two such executions occurred throughout all of 2023. This year alone, 71 people have been executed for non-lethal drug crimes, with Ethiopians comprising the largest contingent of foreign nationals.
Taha al-Hajji, a Saudi attorney residing abroad and serving as legal director of the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, highlighted significant due process concerns. “Capital trials in Saudi Arabia routinely fail to meet even minimum guarantees of fairness,” he explained. “Defendants are denied legal representation and adequate interpretation, leading to migrants being convicted and sentenced to death without understanding the process – often on the basis of torture ‘confessions.'” He added, “This is not justice: it is state violence, inflicted on defenseless people.”
Amanuel’s Journey to Death Row
Amanuel originally escaped from Ethiopia’s Tigray region amid the pandemic and ongoing civil war. He remained stranded in Yemen for two years before eventually reaching Saudi Arabia, where he worked as a shepherd for three months. When that employment concluded, a Saudi employer offered him a position transporting goods. “The men who offered me the work were Saudi. I trusted them,” he recalled.
Several years later, while completing a delivery, police discovered hashish in his vehicle and arrested him. “We thought just we were carrying some normal things,” he told CNN. Following his arrest, Amanuel described receiving a severe beating with an electrical cord and kicks to his body. He was presented with documents in an unfamiliar language and instructed to sign them without comprehension. No lawyer or Ethiopian embassy representative appeared during his proceedings. Only his third court hearing included a translator, and that session was brief—the judge simply read the sentence aloud. He was informed there would be no appeal.
A Christian, Amanuel no longer wears his cross, fearing persecution. He recounted one incident where guards tied his hands behind his back, beat him, and left him exposed in the sun for three hours. He believes he can no longer practice his faith openly. Additionally, four of his cellmates have tried to end their own lives, with fellow prisoners intervening each time to prevent tragedy.
“Capital trials in Saudi Arabia routinely fail to meet even minimum guarantees of fairness,” said Taha al-Hajji.
Saudi Arabia has yet to provide a response to CNN’s inquiry regarding these cases.