A total of 883 executions were recorded worldwide in 2022, a record number since 2017points out Amnesty International in its annual report on the death penalty, released on Tuesday, denouncing a “homicide wave” in some countries.
“The number of executions recorded in 2022 reached its highest level in five years, with the main countries responsible for this record in Middle East and North Africa delivered to a wave of murders,” criticized the human rights NGO.
The report counts 883 people executed in 20 countries in 2022, with an increase of 53% compared to the previous year.
“This drastic increase in executions, without taking it into account the thousands that probably took place in China last year, it was mainly due to countries in the Middle East and North Africa, where recorded numbers increased from 520 in 2021 to 825 in 2022,” notes Amnesty International.
The number of executions in Iran went from 314 in 2021 to 576 in 2022, tripled in Saudi Arabiarising from 65 to 196 (the highest number recorded by the NGO in 30 years), while Egypt executed 24 people, according to the report.
Saudi Arabia: 81 executions in one day
Saudi Arabia “executed 81 prisoners in a single day,” said Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International.
He also points to Iran, where “in a desperate attempt to quell popular protest, the authorities killed people who were only exercising their right to demonstrate.”
Amnesty International points out that the total number of executions in the world in 2022 was actually “significantly higher” than recordedsince “the secrecy surrounding the use of the death penalty continues to prevent it an accurate assessment in several countries, such as China, North Korea and Vietnam”.
“Although the exact number of people executed in China is not known, this country sis clearly in the lead“He adds.
However, the report does highlight “a ray of hope”: six countries totally or partially abolished the death penalty in 2022.
Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic have abolished it for all offences, while Equatorial Guinea and Zambia have abolished it for common law offenses only.
Five countries resumed executions
In 2022, executions resumed in five countries – Afghanistan, the State of Palestine, Kuwait, Myanmar and Singapore – at the same time as these increased in the United States (from 11 to 18).
The documented number of people executed for drug offenses doubled more so in 2022 than in 2021.
This cruel punishment often disproportionately affects people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Agnes Callamardo
Executions for drug offenses violate international human rights law, which states that executions should be carried out only for “the most serious offences”, i.e. those in which there was an intentional homicide.
Executions for drug offenses were documented in Saudi Arabia (57), China, Iran (255) and Singapore (11), accounting for 37% of all executions documented worldwide by AI.
It is likely that executions were also carried out in Vietnam for these crimes, although these figures have remained a state secret.
“In a cruel irony, nearly 40% of all known executions have been for drug offences. What’s worse – this cruel punishment it often disproportionately affects people from disadvantaged backgrounds”, said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“It is time for governments and the United Nations to step up pressure on those responsible for these gross human rights violations and ensure that international safeguards are in place.”
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Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.