Salman bin Abdulaziz

The Saudi military intervention in Yemen began in 2015 during King Salman's reign. International investigations and organisations documented heavy civilian casualties and controversies surrounding air strikes by the Riyadh-led coalition.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Executions in Saudi Arabia reached record levels: 345 in 2024 and 356 in 2025, according to figures cited by Human Rights Watch. In April 2026, human rights organisations estimated that more than 2,000 people had been executed since Salman took the throne in January 2015. Critics particularly highlighted executions for non-lethal drug offences, foreign nationals, defendants who had been minors at the time of the alleged acts and cases involving political expression.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

By royal decree in November 2017, Salman established an anti-corruption committee chaired by Mohammed bin Salman and given extensive powers. Princes, ministers and businessmen were detained, resulting in financial settlements and an international debate over fighting corruption and consolidating power.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

From May 2018, Saudi authorities arrested several prominent women activists, including Loujain al-Hathloul, Aziza al-Yousef and Eman al-Nafjan, shortly before the ban on women driving was lifted. The Presidency of State Security, established by King Salman in 2017 and reporting directly to the royal palace, cited allegations involving foreign contacts and state security. Pro-government media simultaneously described some detainees as "traitors", while human rights organisations subsequently documented allegations of torture and sexual harassment in detention.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

A new counterterrorism law adopted in 2017 was criticised by Human Rights Watch and a UN Special Rapporteur for its broad definitions and potential use against dissidents and critics of the King or Crown Prince.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

In June 2017, King Salman removed his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef as Crown Prince and Interior Minister to appoint his own son Mohammed bin Salman as heir to the throne. Reuters sources close to the royal family described the transition as a sudden sidelining that accelerated an unprecedented concentration of powers around MBS. The decision broke with previous dynastic balances and fuelled lasting controversy over centralisation of the monarchy.

State of the evidence

Disputed

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

On 2 January 2016, Saudi Arabia executed 47 people convicted of terrorism, including Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr. The executions prompted strong criticism and contributed to a regional crisis, particularly with Iran.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Before becoming King, Salman chaired the Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia and Herzegovina, established in 1993. Families of 9/11 victims subsequently alleged in US courts that the commission and several Saudi officials had supported organisations linked to al-Qaeda or diverted charitable funds. The complaints cited, in particular, allegations of unaccounted funds and links with radical structures.

Attribution

Directly implicated