Youssef al-Manasif faces imminent execution in Saudi Arabia for allegedly attending protests and funerals when he was aged 15 to 17, human rights groups have stated. He was arrested in 2017 and accused of crimes including joining demonstrations for religious freedom and attending funerals that Saudi authorities consider protests.
Manasif was convicted and sentenced to death by the specialised criminal court, a tribunal established for terrorism-related cases. His death sentence has reportedly been upheld by the Saudi supreme court.
The charity Reprieve claims Manasif was tortured and coerced into signing a false confession. Reprieve also states he met his state-appointed lawyer for the first time in 2022, five years after his arrest.
The UN's independent human rights experts have previously raised concerns about Manasif's case, urging Saudi Arabia to halt planned executions of individuals convicted of offences allegedly committed when they were under 18.
Reprieve states that at least 17 individuals who were children at the time of their alleged offences have been executed in Saudi Arabia since 2015. Saudi Arabia issued a royal decree in 2020 to abolish the death penalty for children, but has since upheld death sentences in cases involving child defendants.