Maadaama tiro reer Itoobiyaan ah ay wajaheen xukun dil ah, maxaabiis la beddelay magacyadoodii ayaa ka sheekeeyay xaaladooda xabsiga iyo dacwadaha
Maxaabiis dhowr ah oo xadhigga geerida ku sugan xabsiyada Sacuudi Carabiya ayaa taleefoon uga wacay adeegga af-Tigrinya ee BBC-da. Waxay ka mid yihiin Habtom iyo Desta oo magacyadooda la beddelay. Toddoba iyo toban reer Itoobiyaan ah ayaa la toogtay 2025.
Maxaabiista iyo Xukunnada Dilka
Habtom wuxuu ka yimid Tigray, Itoobiya, waxaana lagu helay dambiga tahriibinta hashish, nooc ka mid ah cannabis. Sacuudi Carabiya, garsooruhu wuu go'aamin karaa in xukun dil ah laga gaaro marka la helo dembi. Habtom wuxuu sheegay inaan loo ogolayn qareen ama difaac.
Desta wuxuu sheegay inuu sidoo kale ku qasbanaaday inuu saxeexo warqad Carabi ah oo ku qoran eedeymo dil ah, markaasna maxkamadda laga diiday fursad uu ku doodo. Wuxuu yiri: 'When you appear before the judge on the first day, he asks: Do you accept the charges? On the second appearance, he sentences you to death'.
Xaaladda Xabsiga iyo Dhibaatada
Desta wuxuu ku sugan yahay qayb kale oo xabsiga ah, wuxuuna sheegay in 200 oo nin ay ku sidnaayeen qol loogu talagalay 90, oo leh 45 sariirood. Wuxuu yiri: 'The stress of facing execution, combined with the overcrowded conditions, exposes us to illness and anxiety'.
Ilaaluhu albaabka ma furo marka uu cuntada keeno mooyee, wuxuuna afka iyo sanka ku daboolaa maaskaro. Habtom wuxuu yiri: 'We are living in deep fear and cannot even eat the food we are given'.
Falcelinta Caalamiga ah iyo Diblomaasiyadda
Kooxaha xuquuqda aadanaha sida HRW waxay sheegeen inay la xiriireen qoysaska oo ay maqleen 'mass sentences, mass trials that lacked any kind of due process'. HRW bishii Abriil ayay ka codsatay Sacuudi inay joojiso dilka.
Guddoomiyaha Abune Mathias wuxuu ku baaqay in dowladda la xaajooto, wuxuuna ugu yeeray 'voiceless children'. Wasiiradda Arrimaha Dibadda Itoobiya waxay 13 July sheegtay in 2,000 qof ay ka faa'iideysteen cafis boqoreed.
Prisoners contacted BBC from Khamis Mushait jail citing denied legal rights and rising executions
Ethiopian detainees in a Saudi prison have told the BBC they face execution after trials they say denied them lawyers. In the first seven months of 2025, 17 Ethiopians were executed, the highest among non-Saudis, with five on Monday.
Detainees allege denied legal defense
Habtom has been held in Khamis Mushait for over three years and was found guilty of smuggling hashish; a judge may impose death at discretion. He alleged no lawyer or defense was allowed and he was forced to sign an Arabic document agreeing to the sentence without understanding it.
Rights groups including HRW and Amnesty say due process is rare; defendants get no lawyer or papers and translation is poor. HRW learned of mass trials lacking due process where detainees wait unaware of sentence timing. Saudi authorities did not answer BBC on fairness claims.
Prison conditions and inmate accounts
Desta said 200 men are crammed into a cell built for 90 with 45 bunk beds, and the guard opens only to leave food masked. He stated: 'The stress of facing execution, combined with the overcrowded conditions, exposes us to illness and anxiety'.
Habtom said: 'One prisoner cannot comfort another. We have no choice but to cry. We are waiting for our turn, even though we do not know when it will happen'. He kept contact with family but hid his row status: 'I would rather they be told after I die than now'.
Diplomatic and rights responses
Patriarch Abune Mathias called inmates 'voiceless children' under death's shadow and urged talks. HRW's April report demanded halt to executions and lawful handling. African Union body urged Ethiopia to protect lives.
Ethiopia's ministry said on 13 July it seeks remedies and nearly 2,000 benefited from amnesties, not citing crimes. Ambassador Tafa Tulu Dadi visited in June but prisoners had little time to explain. BBC got no response from officials.
Ilaha iyo xuquuqda sawirka
Sawir: BBC Africa Xigasho
