Iran, saudi arabia, iraq record highest executions, as rights group reports global decline in the use of death penalty. Refworld is the leading source of information necessary for taking quality decisions on refugee status. Human rights now the amnesty international usa blog. Amnesty international recorded at least 993 executions in 23 countries in 2017, down by 4% from 2016 1,032 executions and 39% from 2015 when the organization reported 1,634 executions, the highest number since 1989. Apr, 2018 amnesty international has called on the thai government to officially suspend the use of the death penalty to elevate the countrys development on human rights as stated in its road map. Executions in iran dropped from at least 507 in 2017 to at least 253 in. We believe the death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights because noone including any government has the right to take away someones life.
All legal systems make mistakes, and as long as the death penalty exists, innocent people will be executed. Amnesty international believes than the death penalty. If you are talented and passionate about human rights then amnesty international india wants to hear from you. Oct 20, 2016 amnesty international help fight abuses of human rights worldwide. In recent years the number of countries which carry out. The dramatic global fall in executions proves that even the most unlikely countries are starting to change their ways and realize the death penalty is not the answer, said kumi naidoo, amnesty internationals secretary general. Apr 12, 2018 these figures do not include the thousands of death sentences and executions that amnesty international believes were imposed and implemented in china, where figures remain classified as a state secret. Amnesty international has monitored developments regarding the use of the death penalty and advocated for its abolition for more than three decades.
All were prosecuted in harris county, the leading death penalty county in the leading death penalty state of the usa. This figure represents the lowest number of executions that amnesty international. In addition to guinea, mongolia abolished the death penalty for all crimes taking the total of abolitionist states to 106 in 2017. Amnesty international opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of. This report covers the judicial use of the death penalty for the period january to december 2017. Africa must move away from the death penalty amnesty.
Amnesty internationals global report, death sentences and executions. Death penalty and innocence since 1973, 151 people have been released from death rows throughout the country due to evidence of their wrongful convictions. Amnesty international, a nongovernmental organization focused on human rights, published a report on the use of the death penalty in the world in 2018. Amnesty international launches 2017 death penalty report. This blog provides information about the death penalty in asia, supporting the campaign to end executions in the region. Iran and malaysia adopted legislative amendments that could reduce the use of the death penalty for drugrelated offences. At least 690 executions were carried out in 20 countries in 2018, including in the us, china, iran, saudi arabia, vietnam, singapore and japan, according to amnesty international. The imposition and execution of the death penalty against people who were aged under 18 when the crime was committed is a violation of international law. Apr 12, 2018 executions and death sentences continued to drop globally in 2017 after hitting recordhigh levels in previous years, with iran and pakistan remaining among the worlds top five executioners, amn. Iran responsible for over half of executions world over.
Most of northern ireland strongly backs abortion law reform, survey finds. It is the premeditated and coldblooded killing of a human being by the state. Death sentences and executions 2016, amnesty international, april 11, 2017. Death sentences and executions 2017 amnesty malaysia. With the release of its report on the use of the death penalty in 2016, amnesty international is calling for an end to capital punishment in sub saharan africa and around the world. Amnesty international believes than the death penalty should be abolished, once and for. Global executions and death sentences drop in 2017. Amnesty international s new report death sentences and executions 2017 reveals a global trend away from the death penalty, after recordhigh peaks in recent years. The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and yet it is still being used to execute and issue death sentences around the world. Our new report, death sentences and executions 2017, reveals that the number of executions declined by 4% compared to 2016 and the number of death sentences fell by 17%. A total of 2,531 death sentences were also imposed in 54 countries last year, decreasing from 2,591 recorded worldwide in 2017 according to a. According to amnesty international in 2017, 142 countries had abolished the death penalty in law or practice. There will be times when numbers fluctuateparticularly following historic highs or lowsbut the steady longterm decline in the death penalty since the 1990s suggests that in most of the country, the death penalty is becoming obsolete, said robert dunham, the executive director of the death penalty.
Washington becomes the 20th state to abolish the death penalty. Mar 07, 2017 metro manila cnn philippines international human rights group amnesty international said tuesday that restoring the death penalty is a shortterm placebo solution to criminality in the. Death sentences and executions 2017 amnesty international 4 note on amnesty internationals figures on the use of the death penalty this report covers the judicial use of the death penalty for the period january to december 2017. These figures underscore the global trend towards abolition of the death penalty. Last year amnesty international recorded 993 executions. At least 19,336 people were known to be under sentence of death globally at the end of 2018. Amnesty international recorded at least 2,591 death sentences in 53 countries in 2017, a significant decrease from the recordhigh of 3,117. Amnesty international s research points to a further decrease in the global use of the death penalty in 2017, down from the high peaks recorded for total executions in 2015 and death sentences in 2016. At least 21,919 people were known to be on death row at the end of 2017. During the covid19 global pandemic amnesty international usa will continue to hold virtual events promoting awareness, community organizing opportunities, and advocacy for human rights. This report covers the judicial use of the death penalty for the period january to december 2016. Research archives amnesty malaysia amnesty international. In 2003 alone, 10 wrongfully convicted defendants were released from death.
Amnesty international recorded 3,117 death sentences in 55 countries in 2016, a significant increase on the total for 2015 1,998 sentences in 61 countries. The human rights organization recorded 2,591 death sentences imposed in 53 countries in 2017, down 17% from the 3,117 death. The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. In belarus, china and viet nam, data on the use of the death penalty is. Death penalty 2016 facts and figures amnesty international. There is an overrepresentation of racial minorities, poor people, and those with mental or intellectual disabilities on death.
By 1988, 35 countries had done so and another 18 had abolished the death penalty for all but exceptional. Amnesty internationals new report death sentences and executions 2017 reveals a global trend away from the death penalty, after recordhigh peaks in recent years. First published in 2017 by amnesty international ltd. However, the asiapacific is still the region where the most countries applied the death penalty for drugrelated o. At amnesty international, we firmly believe that no one including any government has the right to take away someone elses life. Amnesty criticizes china for death penalty secrecy china. The human rights organization recorded 2,591 death sentences imposed in 53 countries in 2017, down 17% from the 3,117 death sentences it recorded from 55 countries in 2016. More than 70 % of the worlds countries have abolished capital punishment in law or practice. The following methods of execution were used across the world in 2017. In total, according to human rights activists, at least 690 people were executed in 20 countries around the world last year. Iran responsible for over half of executions world over, says.
Oct 14, 2018 the number of countries which have formally abolished the death penalty has been steadily increasing, from 48 in 1991 to 106 in 2017. Amnesty international has released its annual report on the status of capital punishment around the world. End the death penalty amnesty international australia. Amnesty criticises rogue state china as global death penalty toll falls. Learn more about death penalty statistics and key arguments. If you are talented and passionate about human rights then amnesty international. Amnesty international death to the death penalty youtube. Use of the death penalty declined worldwide in 2017, according to the amnesty international s annual global report on capital punishment. The criminal law amendment act, 2018 was signed into law by the president on 11 august 2018.
Amnesty international added, for the first time in many years amnesty international. Refworld contains a vast collection of reports relating to situations in countries of origin, policy documents and positions, and documents relating to international. If you are interested in working with us on this issue, you are invited to become a member of the volunteer group to abolish the death penalty. At the end of 2018, 106 countries had abolished the death penalty in law for all crimes and 142 countries had abolished the death penalty. However, the asiapacific is still the region where the most countries applied the death penalty. Amnesty international recorded at least 690 executions in 20 countries in 2018, down by 31% from 2017 at least 993 executions. These range from bringing torturers to justice and changing oppressive laws to freeing people jailed just for voicing their opinion. Global executions and death sentences drop in 2017 amnesty. The number of countries carrying out executions and imposing death sentences remained in line with figures recorded in recent years.
Amnesty international recorded at least 2,531 death sentences in 54 countries, a slight decrease from the total of 2,591 reported in 2017. We oppose the use of the death penalty in every single case. The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. Subsaharan africa made great strides in the global fight to abolish the death penalty with a significant decrease in death sentences being imposed across the. It said 142 countries have abolished death penalty in practice by the end of 2018, even as india figures among 29 nations which pardoned a death case that. It violates the right to life as proclaimed in the universal declaration of human rights. Of the 931 chinese executions for which amnesty international found news reports from 20142016, just 85 were included in the new database. This cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment is done in the name of justice. Apr 12, 2018 use of the death penalty declined worldwide in 2017, according to the amnesty internationals annual global report on capital punishment. In the age of information rise above the noise and subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular updates. Amnesty internationals latest annual report has found that fewer executions were carried out around the world in 2017 than the year prior. These figures do not include the thousands of death sentences and executions that amnesty international believes were imposed and implemented in china, where figures remain classified as a state secret. The japanese governments continued use of the death penalty demonstrates a contempt for the right to life, amnesty international said, following the execution of two men on thursday.
Amnesty international report on death penalty 2017 death. In belgium, due to recent events, 7 in 10 people consider reinstalling the death penalty for terrorists. China classifies most information related to the death penalty as state secrets and in any case virtually any information can be classified as a state secret under chinas overbroad secrecy laws. No matter what the crime, who the alleged criminal is, or the method proposed to execute them we will always stand against it. Death sentences and executions 2017 amnesty international. Amnesty international also recorded a noticeable decrease in the. Death penalty in 2016 amnesty international canada.
At least 1,032 people were executed in 23 countries in 2016. According to ai, the report covers the judicial use of the death penalty for the period january to december 2017. Worlds biggest executioner china must come clean about grotesque level of capital punishment. In its report on the death penalty for 2016, the nongovernmental organization amnesty international said china remains the worlds top executioner as the united states us has fell out of the list of top five for the first time since 2006. Find out what amnesty is doing to abolish the death penalty everywhere. Find out what amnesty is doing to abolish the death penalty. Death sentences and executions 2017, you can read it online in its pdf format. Amnesty international is the worlds largest human rights organization, and our model of grassroots campaigning achieves remarkable results on issues from womens human rights to the death penalty. The executions, the first in japan in 2017, take the number of people executed under the current government to 19 since 2012. Amnesty internationals research points to a further decrease in the global use of the death penalty in. Amnesty international found public news reports of at least 931 individuals executed between 2014 and 2016. Guinea became the 20th state in the region to abolish the death penalty for all crimes, while kenya abolished the mandatory death penalty for murder. Apr 10, 2019 as a result, execution figures fell globally from at least 993 in 2017, to at least 690 in 2018.
Amnesty opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of who is accused, the nature or circumstances of the crime, guilt or innocence or method of execution. When amnesty started campaigning against the death penalty back in 1977, only 16 countries had abolished it. Akure, millennium city amnesty international ai has released its 2017 reports on death penalty and executions, abolition of such practices in some countries, and other striking details. Significant increases were recorded in 12 countries, but for some, such as thailand, the increase is due to the fact that the authorities provided amnesty international with detailed information. Lowest number of prisoners executed in 2018 news al. This represented an increase of 50 per cent over the number of death sentences imposed in 2017. Amnesty international help fight abuses of human rights worldwide. Death penalty not the solution international rights group. In 2017 the us fell off of the list of countries carrying out the most executions in the world, and since then washington state abolished its death penalty, making 20 states in the us abolitionist. Death penalty cases of 2017 featured botched executions. You are more likely to be sentenced to death if state authorities see you as a threat. In 2017, subsaharan africa became a beacon of hope as it took positive strides towards abolishing the death penalty once and for all. Amnesty international report on death penalty 2018 2,531. Death penalty archives amnesty international india.
Executions down globally in 2017, but remain high in iran. Death sentences and executions in 2016 amnesty international. In a time when hope can seem thin on the ground, we welcome the latest findings that there has been an overall worldwide drop in the use of the death penalty. The number of people sentenced to death also went down.
If you are talented and passionate about human rights then amnesty international wants to hear from you. Use of the death penalty declined worldwide in 2017, according to the amnesty internationals annual global report on capital punishment. Amnesty international recorded at least 2,591 death sentences in 53 countries in 2017, a significant decrease from the recordhigh of 3,117 recorded in 2016. It introduced the death penalty as a discretionary punishment for the rape of girls younger than 12 years of age. All legal systems make mistakes, and as long as the death penalty. Amnesty international, a globally recognized human rights advocate organization, has launched its 2017 global death penalty report on thursday, april 12, at the christ the king cathedral in accra with a call on government to abolish death penalty. Apr 12, 2018 the imposition and execution of the death penalty against people who were aged under 18 when the crime was committed is a violation of international law. Amnesty international page 7 of 54 world the guardian. Amnesty international the death penalty test youtube.
The move came after the release of its 2017 annual report on thursday which recorded at least 993 executions in 23 countries last year with the chinese. There is an overrepresentation of racial minorities, poor people, and those with mental or intellectual disabilities on death row. Amnesty international recorded at least 690 executions in 20 countries in 2018, a decrease of 31% compared to 2017 at least 993. The death penalty is a cruel, futile and dangerous punishment, and the asian region is home to some of the worlds leading executioners.
Amnesty international added, for the first time in many years amnesty international recorded more executions for murder than for drugrelated offences. Amnesty criticizes china for death penalty secrecy posted by josh rudolph apr 11, 2017 amnesty international today released its global report death sentences and executions. Amnesty international opposes the death penalty unconditionally. Furthermore, the astronomical costs associated with putting a person on death row including criminal investigations, lengthy trials and appeals are leading many states to reevaluate and reconsider having this flawed and unjust system on the books.