“Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the centre of the universe.” – Elie Wiesel
It is now four and a half years since the takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi Public Investment Fund and since then NE Bylines has been regularly reviewing what life is like in that Middle Eastern kingdom and what has happened there since that takeover in October 2021. There are some who would claim that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a place where human rights are not respected and is a murderous regime, which starts illegal wars. But is all that really true? Let’s see what has been happening and look at the hard evidence. How has Saudi Arabia been reported in recent weeks?
Parts 1-31 of this survey have covered the period from 7th October 2021 to the end of March this year. So, what has been happening regarding Saudi Arabia in April 2026?’
Executed after protesting
It was reported on 1 April that Saud al-Faraj, a Saudi businessman had been executed in Saudi Arabia due to his participation in anti-government protests in 2011.
It was noted that Faraj, 42, had been convicted four years ago of participating in demonstrations in Qatif, as well as running a terrorist cell and killing police officers. Qatif was said to be “a Shia-majority governorate in the east of the kingdom”.
The interior ministry announced the death on 1 April, following a “royal order” approving the execution.
Faraj was said to have “long denied the charges against him, saying that he was tortured into a confession, which saw him moved via wheelchair in and out of the prison hospital between interrogation sessions, and held in solitary confinement for 21 months, among other allegations.
“He was one of hundreds of Saudis who took part in demonstrations in 2011 during the Arab Spring protests, calling for greater democracy and reforms in the kingdom.
“Many of those involved came from the Shia community in Qatif, who have long complained of discrimination”.
Jeed Basyouni from Reprieve commented on the execution: “While the world’s attention is elsewhere, the crown prince is killing off his critics”.
Concerns over Saudi activist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi
On the same day, it was also reported by ALQST, that 18 MEPs had written to the Bulgarian government about the plight of Abdulrahman al-Khalidi, who has been in administrative detention in Bulgaria since 2021 and is still threatened with deportation to Saudi Arabia. The letter was said to call for a guarantee that no deportation will take place, citing Bulgaria’s obligations under international law.
ALQST stated that the letter had been signed by members of the Left Group, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA). The letter details the plight of al-Khalidi, who was said to have “been caught in a prolonged asylum process in Bulgaria since November 2021 and under a deportation order since 2024. In July 2025, and again in February 2026, Bulgaria’s Supreme Administrative Court rejected his appeal against the detention order, placing him at imminent risk”.
It was also noted that “the MEPs warn in their letter that deportation would expose al-Khalidi to a real risk of torture, persecution and other grave human rights violations in Saudi Arabia due to his activism in the past. This began during the 2011 Arab Spring when he participated in peaceful pro-reform protests; following a wave of arrests of fellow activists in 2013, and after himself being summoned for interrogation, he fled Saudi Arabia and continued his advocacy in exile. He later joined dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s “Electronic Bees Army”, a project aimed at countering state disinformation”.
Newcastle City Council
In early April, NUFCFAS announced that they had written to all parties fielding candidates in the city council elections in Newcastle on 7 May asking for them to state their positions regarding, human rights abuses by the Saudi regime, the institutionalised racism in the Saudi kafala migrant labour system and the Saudi promotion of fossil fuels.
Human Rights Watch published their World report 2026, including a large section on Saudi Arabia. The report highlights major concerns in areas including the use of the death penalty, the treatment of the government opposition and other critics, freedom of expression and the criminal justice system. Other concerns include the treatment of older prisoners, asylum seekers, migrants and migrant workers, women and girls’ rights and issues around sexual orientation and gender identity.
Executions in Saudi Arabia
On 21 April, it was reported by Human Rights Watch that “as of early April, the number of executions carried out by Saudi Arabia since King Salman bin Abdulaziz’s accession to the throne on January 23, 2015—and the subsequent appointment of his son, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, on June 21, 2017—has surpassed 2,000, according to the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR), marking a stark escalation in the use of capital punishment under their rule”.
It was further noted that the period had seen more executions than ever before. These included the disproportionate executions of foreign nationals, execution of child defendants and executions of individuals sentenced for acts related to the exercise of their right to freedom of expression seen as politically motivated.
In late April, a new petition was launched on Change.org in support of the release of Osama Khalid, who is currently serving a 14-year sentence under arbitrary detention.
Osama’s crime was said to be advocating for human rights and sharing knowledge His case is noted as “one among many in a pattern of arbitrary arrests in Saudi Arabia”.
On 29 April it was reported that UN experts had that day urged Saudi Arabia to ensure that the Kafala (sponsorship) system is abolished as the country pushes ahead with preparations for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The experts, who were said to be Gehad Madi, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. Tomoya Obokata, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences and Siobhán Mullally, the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children commented:
“Five years after the encouraging announcement of labour reforms, we continue to receive reports of abuse and labour exploitation of the estimated 16 million migrant workers in the country,” the experts said.
“Migrant worker deaths have allegedly occurred under unclear circumstances and without accountability,” they said. “Wage theft, workplace violence, retention of identity documents and the imposition of extortionate recruitment fees are all reported to continue. These practices must stop.”
So, there is evidence about what was happening concerning Saudi Arabia in April 2026. Are those who accuse the Saudi regime of having a bad human rights record being fair? What should we say and what should we do today, and in the future, in order to respond to the human rights record of the Saudi regime?
Perhaps we ought to remember the words of Martin Luther King Jr., who visited Newcastle on 13th November 1967, to receive an honorary degree. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.” Should we not follow these wise words with regards to the brutality of the Saudi regime?
April has turned out to be another month of suffering and hardship for many innocent people in Saudi Arabia. Shouldn’t we remember them and try to help them?
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER
HELP US BECOME STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER POWERFUL CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
