The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) condemns the execution of journalist and blogger Turki Al-Jasser after seven years of imprisonment.

The execution sent a shock wave among people of Saudi Arabia as it was reminiscent of the extrajudicial killing of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi Consulate in Istanbul by Saudi operatives close to the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Al-Jasser was arrested and detained on 15 March 2018 without any clear charges, however many local sources confirmed that his posts on the X platform were likely behind his arrest. In one of his posts, he laments that “the ‘abandoned’ according to Arabs is the person whose killer does not suffer any consequences or pay any blood money, so the Arab citizen is like the abandoned before his government, a person who can be killed under the pretense of sovereignty and national security.”

In a statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Interior under the title, “Carrying out the death penalty as a discretionary punishment (Ta’azir) against a citizen for committing a number of terrorist crimes,” the execution was conducted according to a Ta’azir, which is a judge’s decision to execute a person for a crime for which no penalty exists in Sharia. The execution was justified based on several charges of treason, including conspiring with individuals outside the country to threaten national security, and accepting amounts of money to finance terrorist activities, endangering the national unity and security, and destabilising the security of the society and the stability of the state. The statement mentioned also that that the death by execution was upheld by the Supreme Court and approved by a Royal Decree, therefore Al-Jasser was executed on 14 June 2025.

No specific information was given on what evidence or activities were considered as treason. It is well documented by many human rights organisations and legal experts that Saudi Arabia uses the Counterterrorism Law as a tool to stifle dissent.

Al-Jasser was a well-known journalist and blogger, who actively kept a popular account called Kashkoul on X. He wrote about sensitive issues such as the corruption of the ruling family and the Arab Spring. He contributed articles and op-ed pieces to the now-shuttered newspaper Al-Taqrir.

In 2024, Saudi Arabia executed 338 people, double the executions recorded the previous year, and the highest in decades. This year, over 100 executions have taken place, mostly for non-violent crimes. The rising rate of targeting journalists and bloggers only serves as evidence of what the lack of accountability over the brutal killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi means for the rest of the journalists and bloggers. Al-Jasser’s execution, following his enforced disappearance, is also a testament of the state’s use and weaponising of terrorism to eliminate political activists.

Recommendations

GCHR calls on the Saudi authorities to:

1. Investigate the execution of journalist and blogger Turki Al-Jasser, provide ample evidence of charges of treason, rather than fabricated accusations, and hold those involved accountable;
2. Amend the Counterterrorism Law to truly reflect the state’s regional and international commitment to uphold justice and safeguard people’s rights to freedom of expression and association; and
3. Ensure that all detained individuals are able to receive legal and family support and have their trials open for the public to ensure transparency, fairness, and due process.