Saudi youth faces execution for joining protests, funerals

A young Saudi man, Yusuf al-Manasif, faces execution for allegedly participating in protests and funerals when he was aged 15 to 17, human rights groups say.

Arrested in 2017, Yusuf was accused of joining protests demanding religious freedom for the Shia Muslim community and attending funerals that Saudi authorities considered protests.

Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court, which handles terrorism-related cases, sentenced him to death. Activists fear the Supreme Court has also upheld the sentence, leaving him with few options to avoid execution.

Torture allegations

Human rights group Reprieve alleges Yusuf was tortured after his arrest and forced to sign a false confession.

He was first allowed to meet a state-appointed lawyer in 2022, five years after his arrest, according to Reprieve.

His family has not spoken publicly, amid fears of harassment or arrest. Duaa Dhaini, an adviser to Reprieve and the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights, said the family had little choice but to wait.

-AJM