Saudi Arabia execution of Youssef al-Manasif looms over protest charges from age 15
Youssef al-Manasif faces imminent execution in Saudi Arabia for attending protests and funerals between the ages of 15 and 17, human rights groups say. His death sentence has reportedly been upheld by the country's supreme court.
Saudi Arabia execution of Youssef al-Manasif looms over protest charges from age 15
Human rights groups say the Saudi Arabia execution of Youssef al-Manasif is imminent, over conduct dating to when he was a teenager. He was arrested in 2017 and accused of joining demonstrations for religious freedom by the Shia minority and attending funerals the authorities deem protests.
Arrest and death sentence
The specialised criminal court, a secretive tribunal set up for terrorism-related cases, convicted Manasif and sentenced him to death. The sentence has reportedly been upheld by the Saudi supreme court, which was likely his last hope of avoiding execution.
Torture claim and silent family
Reprieve says Manasif was tortured and coerced into signing a false confession, and that he first met his state-appointed lawyer in 2022, five years after his arrest. His family have not spoken publicly about the case and could face harassment or arrest if they do so.
"There is nothing they can do now but wait," said Duaa Dhainy, a consultant for Reprieve and the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights.
Executions of child defendants continue
Reprieve's figures show the case fits a wider reported pattern:
- At least 17 people who were children at the time of their alleged offences have been executed in Saudi Arabia since 2015.
- A 2020 royal decree abolished the death penalty for crimes committed as minors.
- In April, Ali al-Subaiti and his uncle Mustafa al-Subaiti were executed for non-lethal "terrorist" offences committed when Ali was 12.
- Last year saw a record 356 executions, most of them foreigners convicted of minor, non-violent drug crimes, in what activists describe as a surge under Mohammed bin Salman.
Rights groups and UN urge halt
UN independent human rights experts have previously voiced concern about Manasif's case, saying Saudi Arabia should immediately halt planned executions of people convicted of offences allegedly committed when they were under 18.
Dhainy said Manasif should be treated as a minor and not sentenced to death, as his charges relate to when he was under 18. She said of the Saudi leadership: "They are using execution as a tool to show how powerful they are and how they can threaten anyone who does not follow their rules."
Human Rights Watch said executing Manasif for a non-violent crime committed as a minor would be "an unconscionable new low".
