Key facts
- Saudi Arabia has granted royal amnesties to almost 2,000 Ethiopian nationals.
- Ethiopia is facilitating the repatriation of 1,971 citizens following the amnesties.
- Many detainees were held on minor drug charges, often involving khat.
- Some detainees reported being forced to sign documents in Arabic and experiencing abuse.
- Ethiopia's foreign ministry cited diplomatic and consular efforts for the amnesties.
Saudi Arabia has granted royal amnesties to nearly 2,000 Ethiopian nationals detained within the kingdom, according to a statement from Ethiopia's foreign ministry. The Ethiopian government has begun facilitating the repatriation of 1,971 citizens following this development.
The amnesties come after Middle East Eye reported earlier in July on the situation of Ethiopians on death row in Saudi Arabia, many of whom are held for minor drug offenses, such as possession of khat, a stimulant illegal in the kingdom. Detainees have shared accounts of being forced to sign documents in Arabic without understanding their contents and facing physical abuse from security forces.
Ethiopia's foreign ministry attributed the granting of the amnesties to "sustained diplomatic and consular efforts" and stated that engagement with Saudi authorities continues at the highest levels regarding Ethiopian nationals in the kingdom, including those facing legal proceedings.
High unemployment, a collapsed wartime economy, and ongoing conflict in Ethiopia are driving many young people, particularly from the Tigray region, to seek work in Saudi Arabia. However, they often fall victim to the kingdom's strict drug laws, are framed for crimes, or coerced into false confessions. Saudi authorities have executed nearly 100 people this year, with a significant number for drug-related offenses, typically carried out by sword.