Death penalty execution rate highest in 5 years

Iran is one of the world's most prolific users of the death penalty. That's reflected in Amnesty International's latest report, which covers death sentences and executions in 2022. At least 576 people were executed in Iran — nearly double the number in 2021.

Across the Persian Gulf, in Saudi Arabia, 196 people died by execution in 2021, including 81 in one day. Iran and Saudi Arabia together account for more than 80% of officially reported executions worldwide, according to Agnes Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International.

In total, at least 883 people were hanged, shot or injected with lethal injection in 2022 across 20 countries. That was the highest number of executions in five years and a sharp increase from 2021: more than 300, or more than 50%.

The death penalty is also used in countries such as Japan, the United States, Singapore and several others. According to Amnesty, more than a third of all executions were determined to be carried out to punish drug trafficking.

Six other countries have either fully or partially abolished the death penalty by 2022, including several African countries such as Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic. Most recently, Malaysia has also abolished the death penalty.

By the end of 2022, a total of 112 countries had abolished the death penalty. Last December, nearly two-thirds of United Nations member states, or 125 countries, voted for a moratorium on the death penalty.

Hoang Anh (according to AI, DW)