Amnesty International has vehemently criticized Saudi Arabia for the execution of Jalal Labbad, who was accused of participating in protests and committing related offenses when he was merely a teenager. According to Bissan Fakih, Amnesty International’s Middle East Campaigner, "Saudi Arabia’s execution of Jalal Labbad is deplorable and underscores the devastating toll of the authorities’ ruthless use of the death penalty in complete disregard of one of the most absolute prohibitions to its use."

Jalal Labbad, a member of the Shi’a minority from Al-Qatif, was actively involved in demonstrations against the unfair treatment of his community at around 17 years of age. Arrested four years later, in 2017, he faced charges relating to those earlier protests. Reports from rights groups suggest that during his detention, Labbad was subjected to torture, leading to severe health issues including frequent fainting, low blood pressure, and significant swelling in his right thigh. Moreover, he was reportedly denied access to legal representation. Despite international outcry and previous assurances by the Saudi Human Rights Commission in May 2023 that the death penalty would no longer be applied to juveniles for ta’zir crimes, Labbad was sentenced to death in 2022 and executed on August 21, 2025.

The execution starkly contradicts the Saudi government’s earlier commitments and has drawn severe criticism from various international bodies, including the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). USCIRF has described the execution as a "disturbing escalation" in unlawful executions that contravene international human rights laws and diminish religious freedom protections.

Ta’zir crimes, under which Labbad was convicted, refer to offenses in Islamic law that lack a prescribed penalty in the Quran or Hadith, leaving sentencing to the discretion of the judiciary. The use of the death penalty, particularly for crimes committed by minors, is universally prohibited under several international legal frameworks, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Both documents outline that the execution of individuals for crimes committed as minors is a violation of international standards.

Amnesty International continues to stand against the death penalty in all cases, declaring it as "the ultimate violation of the right to life" and a form of punishment that is both cruel and degrading. The organization, along with other human rights groups, calls for a global reevaluation of the death penalty’s application and a concerted effort to uphold international legal standards designed to protect the rights of the most vulnerable, including minority groups and juveniles.