Somali Government Initiates Talks with Saudi Arabia for Release of Imprisoned Nationals
Jeddah (LM) The Somali government has officially launched negotiations with Saudi authorities to secure the release or repatriation of over 100 Somali nationals currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, including many facing death sentences for drug trafficking.
Somalia’s Consul General in Jeddah, Abdiweli Hirsi Abdille, confirmed that most of the prisoners have been held in the southern province of Najran for six to eight years. Of these, 58 have already been sentenced—some to death—while 57 others are undergoing trials. Additionally, nine detainees remain in custody without formal charges.
The talks come amid rising concerns among Somali families following the execution of a Somali national earlier this year. Reports of similar executions involving Yemeni and Ethiopian detainees have intensified calls for urgent diplomatic intervention.
“Somalia and Saudi Arabia have held multiple discussions on possible release or repatriation,” Abdille stated. “Although progress has been limited, we remain hopeful.” He recently visited the detention facilities and met with Najran’s regional governor, Prince Jalami bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, along with senior prison officials. Abdille noted that while the detainees are in stable health, they have expressed unresolved concerns.
“When I spoke with the prisoners, they shared that they had learned a great deal during their time in detention, particularly in religious studies,” Abdille reported. “They requested a Somali-speaking teacher, and the prison agreed to provide one fluent in both Somali and Arabic.” rights organizations have criticized Saudi Arabia for continuing to impose capital punishment for non-violent drug offenses, despite prior commitments to reduce executions. According to Amnesty International, the kingdom executed at least 198 people in 2024, averaging one execution every two days.
Saudi Arabia has one of the highest execution rates worldwide, a trend that has escalated since King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took power in 2015.
Family members of the Somali prisoners report that many were lured into drug trafficking after entering Saudi Arabia through Yemen, often promised substantial payments for smuggling drugs across the border. “Given their desperate circumstances, they were manipulated into carrying drugs,” said Abdirahman Mohamed Abdiweli, whose relative is among the detainees.
While discussions between Somalia and Saudi Arabia have been ongoing for years, no detainees have been released through these negotiations. Somalia’s foreign ministry asserts its commitment to pursuing all available diplomatic channels to bring its citizens home.
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