Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia: Eight Indian nationals, including a man from Kerala, are facing a potentially capital punishment in Saudi Arabia. They are being arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling and promising them free Umrah and better career opportunities.
The man from Kerala has been named as Umar Shareef, from Kochannur, Thrissur district. The remaining seven accused are from West Bengal. They were arrested at Jeddah airport approximately two months ago after authorities found a large quantity of pregabalin (controlled drug) in their luggage.
They were promised free Umrah, including flights, accommodation and other costs. They were also told that the packages they were transporting contained sweets to give to children in Palestine and Sudan.
All of them agreed to deliver the packages to someone in Jeddah. However, they were unaware that these packages contained controlled drugs. They claim to be innocent, however, this has not been proven by any final court ruling.
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The Saudi Public Prosecution have requested that all eight accused receive capital punishment under Saudi Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Law. They have also requested that the bags used to carry the drugs are confiscated and fines are issued for the accused.
The court have also organised interpreters for the accused who do not understand Bengali. Other evidence will be presented by those who arrested the accused.
As of October 28th 2026, it has been reported that the eight men are still in custody and could face capital punishment if the prosecution’s request is accepted.
Umar Shareef’s wife, Hajara, has made an appeal to Kerala’s Home Minister, Ramesh Chennithala. She is requesting that the state government and central government intervene and work with the Indian authorities to provide legal support.
There has been no confirmation that the eight men have been sentenced to death. The prosecution’s request is part of the legal process.
In September 2026 it was confirmed that an Indian national from Kerala, Abootty Valliyil, was executed after being convicted of narcotics smuggling. He was found to be in possession of approximately 43kg of narcotics which were seized from his vehicle. This shows how seriously the Saudi authorities take drug trafficking offences, however it was a different situation.
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