Youssef al-Manasif faces execution in Saudi Arabia for attending protests and funerals between the ages of 15 and 17, according to human rights groups cited by The Guardian.
Manasif was arrested in 2017 and accused of joining demonstrations for religious freedom by the Shia minority and attending funerals that Saudi authorities classified as protests. A specialized criminal court established for terrorism-related cases convicted him and imposed a death sentence.
The case exemplifies what rights groups describe as a surge in Saudi Arabia's use of capital punishment for non-violent offenses. Human rights advocates say Manasif was tortured during detention and did not meet his lawyer until five years after his arrest.
The execution would represent one of several death sentences the kingdom has carried out or prepared against individuals convicted for peaceful assembly and religious expression. Saudi Arabia's specialized criminal court operates with limited transparency, raising concerns among international observers about due-process protections and the treatment of defendants, particularly minors at the time of alleged offenses.