At least 64 people are at risk of execution in Saudi Arabia, nine of whom were minors when criminal charges were brought against them, a human rights non-governmental organization said on Friday.

The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) also reported in its report that 61 people were executed in the first half of the year in the Gulf kingdom, which is among the world’s most capital-imposed countries.

An AFP tally based on state media reports, however, shows that this year there have been 63 executions through June and 74 so far through July.

ESOHR, for its part, estimates that the number of executions may be even higher, as there are cases that are carried out “secretly” or “unannounced”.

The report denounces the “appalling pace” of executions, as the authorities “permanently flout their promises, international law and international obligations”, estimating that the lives of those awaiting execution in Saudi Arabia are “increasingly at risk”.

The NGO also laments the fact that Saudi Arabia continues to refuse to hand over the bodies of people who are killed to their families, despite their repeated requests.

At least 140 bodies remain in the hands of the authorities, he notes.

AFP asked the Saudi government for comment on the group’s report yesterday. No response received.

At least 1,000 prisoners have been executed since 2015, when King Salman took the throne and his son Mohammed became Crown Prince, the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, according to a count by Reprieve and ESOHR released earlier this year.

In 2022, 147 people were executed, double the number compared to the previous year. Among them, 81 convicted of “terrorism” were executed on the same day, sparking an international outcry.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman still assured the US magazine The Atlantic in March 2022 that the kingdom was “liberated” from the death penalty, with the exception of murder cases, or cases in which the accused “threatened the lives of many”, according to Saudi state media.