“Report: fewer executions in the world”
“In 2018, reduced the number of executed death penalty the world over a bit.”
“But despite the fact that the numbers are lower than ten years development in several countries in the opposite direction.”
“the Number of executions fell by 2018 with 31 per cent compared with the year before – from at least 993 executions 2017 to at least 690 in 2018, according to a new report from the human rights organization Amnesty International.”
“In Iran halved the number of executed death sentences, compared with 2017. The decrease is largely due to the changing laws of the country which means that fewer offences leading to the death penalty. Even in countries such as Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia declined, the number of enforced death penalty significantly.”
” It is very gratifying to see the lowest numbers in ten years. A large part of it depends on the change of legislation in Iran, which, however, still is the country that executes the most people in the world, after China, says Ami Hedenborg, spokesperson for Amnesty International in Sweden.”
“But in several other countries are moving in the opposite direction. In Belarus, Japan, Singapore, south Sudan, and the united states increased the number of enforced death penalty in 2018. In Thailand carried out the first execution in almost ten years. And in Sri Lanka, the authorities have announced that executions will resume, which means the end of a 43-year moratorium.”
“– As so often when it comes to human rights there are parallel tracks. That the number of executions in the united states are increasing, albeit marginally, play a large role, as many other countries that use the death penalty, referring to the united states, ” says Hedenborg.”
“The report warns Amnesty International for the sharp increase of the issued death sentences in several countries. In Iraq, the increased imposition of the death penalty four times over the past year, compared with 2017. Similarly, there was a dramatic increase in Egypt.”
“– It is also important to look at how the death penalty is used, since many countries violating international law. It is, for example, that the countries awarding death penalty after confessions by means of torture, and that countries have a mandatory death penalty for certain crimes, ” says Hedenborg.”
“HH: Record low numbers, but also a development in the opposite direction on several fronts. How do you see the report in general?”
“– is It positive that it goes down in countries such as Iran, Iraq and Pakistan. But of course it is very worrying that the death penalty is still used so much. It is also a lot about the use that we do not know, in countries like China and north Korea.”
“China is the country in the world which executes the most death penalty, according to human rights organization Amnesty International. The exact number of executions is, however, unknown, since China does not publish statistics, but Amnesty International estimates that thousands of people were sentenced to death and executed each year.”
“Iran executes the second highest number of death penalty, followed by saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Iraq. North korea are not covered by the statistics, because the dictatorship does not publish such data.”
“Amnesty International has documented executions in 20 countries, in 2018, a reduction from 23 countries in 2017.”
“In december of 2018 voted 121 countries in the UN general assembly to support a global moratorium (ceasing) of executions.”
“At the end of 2018 had 106 countries had abolished the death penalty for all crimes and 142 countries had abolished it in practice.”
“Source: Amnesty International”