Approximately 200 Ethiopian migrants are facing execution in Saudi Arabia, according to reporting by Addis Standard citing the Tigray Youth Office, a grim development that highlights the deadly consequences faced by East Africans fleeing conflict zones into Gulf states with harsh judicial systems.
The migrants, most of whom fled the brutal Tigray conflict that ravaged northern Ethiopia between 2020 and 2022, traveled the perilous "eastern route" through Djibouti and war-torn Yemen before arriving in Saudi Arabia. They were arrested between 2023 and 2024 in the Abha region while working.
Their crime? Possession of khat, a plant native to East Africa that produces mild stimulant effects and is widely used across the Horn of Africa but banned under Saudi Arabia's extremely strict drug laws. Human Rights Watch confirmed at least 65 Ethiopian detainees currently imprisoned at Khamis Mushait prison, all convicted of drug-related offenses. Three death sentences were reportedly carried out on April 21.
On May 5, Bishop Tesfaselassie Medhin of the Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat issued a compassionate plea to international organizations, emphasizing that "justice is more effective when tempered by mercy." He called for high-level dialogue with Saudi authorities to suspend executions and commute sentences, advocating for rehabilitation alternatives instead.
The crisis exposes a recurring pattern across the continent: desperate migrants fleeing war, drought, or economic collapse in East Africa risk brutal treatment in Gulf states that offer employment but little protection for African workers. Ethiopia's government has remained largely silent on the issue, raising questions about diplomatic advocacy for its citizens abroad.
