Saudi Arabia executes former child protester Jawad Qureiris

Saudi Arabia has executed Jawad Qureiris, a former child protester from the Eastern Province, where the Shia-majority population resides. The execution, confirmed by the Saudi Press Agency, occurred despite documented family connections to state security issues. Qureiris was 14 to 15 years old when he was arrested during the 2011-12 Arab Spring protests.

Rights groups, including Reprieve, condemn the execution as a tool of political oppression by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The execution of Jawad and another Saudi national, Fadel bin Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Safwani, follows a pattern of persecuting Shia individuals involved in demonstrations during and after the Arab Spring protests.

The executions have been carried out in secret, with the men convicted of "terrorist crimes" after allegedly participating in attacks on security personnel and vehicles, possessing weapons, and providing logistical and financial support for operations within the Kingdom. Human rights advocates argue that the Crown Prince's vendetta against the families of those who questioned his rule has led to capital punishment as a means of political oppression.