Amnesty International reports a 53 percent increase in executions globally in 2022, while four new countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes.
The number of recorded executions increased by 53 percent in 2022, according to a new report released by Amnesty International.
A total of 883 people were executed in 19 countries last year, compared with 579 known executions in 2021.
These figures exclude China, where data on the death penalty is classified as a state secret and where Amnesty estimates thousands of executions have been carried out.
Some 90 percent of the world’s known executions outside China were carried out in just three countries: Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
In Iran, recorded executions increased from 314 in 2021 to 576 in 2022. While in Saudi Arabia, recorded executions tripled from 65 in 2021 to 196 in 2022. Egypt executed 24 people in 2022, down from 83 the year before.
At least four countries – China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Singapore – carried out executions for drug-related offences which totalled 325 at the end of 2022.
Death sentences imposed by states decreased from 2,052 in 2021 to 2,016 in 2022, according to Amnesty.
Which countries still have the death penalty?
Close to three-quarters of the world has now abolished the death penalty in law or practice, Amnesty says.
In 2022, four countries including Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic abolished the death penalty for all crimes, bringing the total number of abolitionist countries up to 112.
Nine countries have abolished the death penalty for crimes not committed during times of war while 23 countries still retained the death penalty but have not executed anyone over the past 10 years.
Fifty-five countries still retain and implement the death penalty.
SOURCE: ALJAZEERA
