 Death sentences in Saudi Arabia are pronounced almost exclusively based on the system of judicial sentencing discretion ("tazir") rather than Sharia-prescribed ("hudud") punishments, following the classical principle that "hudud" penalties should be avoided if possible.The rise in death sentences during recent decades resulted from a concerted reaction by the government and the courts to a rise in violent crime during the 1970s and paralleled similar developments in the U.S. and Mainland China in the late 20th century.Despite having signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Saudi Arabia executed offenders who were juveniles at the time of the crime up until 26 April 2020, when the death penalty against juveniles was abolished by royal decree.