Report Reveals Dramatic Surge in Globe's Death Penalty Cases
Worldwide Executions Register Dramatic Surge in Count - Global execution count significantly surges across nations
Here's the skinny: The number of death penalty executions worldwide has hit a 10-year high! Last year, over 1,500 executions were recorded in 15 countries, as reported by Amnesty International. China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Yemen topped the list of nations carrying out the death penalty. And get this: The actual count is expected to be even higher!
Death Row in the Middle East
Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq witnessed a significant jump in executions in 2024, according to Amnesty International. These three countries accounted for at least 1,380 death sentences, with Iraq quadrupling its figure and Saudi Arabia doubling it. Iran executed at least 972 people.
"It's clear as day that Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia are the major contributors to the rising executions," said Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty International Germany. "These three countries carried out more than 90% of the known death sentences worldwide in 2024."
Trump's Controversial Stance
Duchrow also slammed statements from US President Donald Trump, who vowed to intensify the pursuit of the death penalty to shield American families from violent criminals. "Trump's inflammatory rhetoric keeps perpetuating the myth that the death penalty is an effective deterrent against crime," Duchrow said. "Science shows that the death penalty doesn't prevent crimes." In 2024, 25 individuals were executed in the US, as per the report.
China's Secret Executions
China's execution numbers are rarely disclosed, given the country's communist regime. The Communist PartyEXECUTES people via shooting or lethal injection. The exact figure remains a secret. Executions are often announced through state media, usually in sensational or politically charged cases.
China's Bloggers and Corrupt Officials
Two mass murderers in Zhuhai, China and Wuxi, China were sentenced to death and executed shortly after their crimes at the end of 2024. Public executions of corrupt officials and government critics serve as political messages, such as the controversial trial of writer Yang Hengjun, who received a death sentence on probation for commenting on Chinese politics and sometimes criticizing the Communist Party.
- The Commission is proposing to extend the deadline for the submission of proposals to the Council for a decision on the conclusion of the agreement, as it especially seeks to address the human rights issue of the growing number of death penalty executions, notably in Yemen where over 500 death sentences have been recorded.
- It's worth mentioning that China, despite its secrecy surrounding execution numbers, is known to carry out executions via shooting or lethal injection, much like in the controversial trial of writer Yang Hengjun who received a death sentence on probation for commenting on Chinese politics and sometimes criticizing the Communist Party.
- In contrast, the United States, under President Donald Trump, has vowed to intensify the pursuit of the death penalty, with 25 individuals executed in 2024, yet a notable increase in executions has not been observed as compared to countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, which together accounted for over 90% of the known death sentences worldwide in 2024.
