The number of executions in Saudi Arabia has risen sharply in the first half of this year. As of July 15, the state executed 98 men and two women for charges related to murder, terrorism and drugs. This marks a 42% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to a recent report

by the Berlin-based European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR).

“Some executions are not even for recognized common crimes, but for such political offenses as ‘endangering national unity’ or ‘undermining societal security,’” Kenneth Roth, the former director of Human Rights Watch and current professor at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, said.

The crackdown on civil rights’ activists is in contrast to Saudi Arabia’s so-called Vision 2030, an ambitious project to drive societal and economic overhaul in the country.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had introduced the set of reforms in 2017 in a bid to diversify the country’s dependence on oil sales by investing in green technologies, boosting foreign investment, and opening the country to non-religious tourism. Part of this strategy included hosting global sports events, such as the upcoming Olympic Esports Games or the football World Cup in 2034. Critics say that Saudi investments in major sports events are an attempt to “sportswash” — or whitewash through the use of sports — the kingdom’s human rights records by boosting its international popularity.