Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast Saudi Arabia’s Surge in Executions with Ebtihal Mubarak
Dec 16, 2025
Ebtihal Mubarak, a Saudi-born journalist and author, sheds light on the alarming surge in executions in Saudi Arabia, with over 335 carried out this year alone. She discusses the role of the U.S. in Saudi relations and critiques the stark contrast between lavish entertainment events and the harsh realities faced by ordinary citizens. Ebtihal also shares her personal journey through journalism, the challenges of censorship, and her eventual decision to flee her homeland as press freedoms dwindled.
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Early Reporting And State Pushback
- Ebtihal Mubarak began her journalism career in 2005 during a brief press opening under King Abdullah.
- She covered sensitive judiciary and women's rights stories that exposed her to state harassment and surveillance.
Harassment Led To Exile
- Mubarak faced direct harassment and threats that targeted her family after reporting on a gang-rape sentencing and a jailed blogger.
- She left Saudi for a two-month fellowship in New York and ultimately did not return due to escalating threats.
Specialized Court As An Enforcement Tool
- The interior ministry created a Specialized Court for Terrorism in 2008 that centralized politically convenient prosecutions.
- Mubarak argues this court became a tool to try activists and expand expedited, opaque punishments.