The Saudi Arabian government’s Human Rights Commission (HRC) on Monday said it recorded 27 executions in 2020. The figure reflects a decrease of 85% in comparison to the previous year, owing to a moratorium on the death penalty for drug-related offences.

The announcement comes amid the Gulf state’s efforts to ‘blunt’ international criticism of its human rights record.

An absolute monarchy, the kingdom has faced continued criticism for its high rates of executions and ‘opaque’ judicial system.

“The Commission welcomes this news as a sign that the kingdom and its justice system are focusing more on rehabilitation and prevention than solely on punishment,” HRC president Awwad Alawwad said in a statement, as per AFP reports.

“The moratorium on drug-related offences means the kingdom is giving more non-violent criminals a second chance.”

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According to Amnesty International, 184 people were executed in Saudi Arabia in 2019, the highest-ever recorded in a single year in the kingdom.

Human rights campaign group Reprieve reported 25 executions in Saudi Arabia in 2020. According to the group, this was the lowest figure it witnessed since 2013. 

“The decline can partly be attributed to the COVID-19 lockdown from February to April, when the government carried out no executions due to restrictions to control the virus,” Reprieve said in a statement, according to AFP.

“However, there is reason to believe that the number of executions will rise in 2021.

The HRC said last April that the kingdom was ending the death penalty for those aged under 18 who were convicted of crimes, along with banning court-ordered floggings.