The total number of executions reached over 1,500 in 2024, marking a decade high, although the number of nations implementing the death penalty remains at a historic low.
Global Executions Surge to Decade High as Amnesty International Reports 2024 Trends
Global Executions Surge to Decade High as Amnesty International Reports 2024 Trends
Amnesty International reveals alarming rise in state executions worldwide, driven primarily by political unrest and drug offenses.
In a startling revelation, Amnesty International's latest report indicates that state-sanctioned executions worldwide have surged to the highest level in a decade, with over 1,500 executions recorded in 2024. The data points to Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia as the primary contributors, collectively responsible for approximately 1,380 of these executions, while the United States accounted for 25.
Despite this sharp increase in executions, the report highlights a significant decline in the number of countries employing the death penalty, which fell to just 15. This figure represents the lowest count on record, remaining stable for the second consecutive year. Amnesty's Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, expressed optimism regarding the global movement away from capital punishment, asserting that the world is on a path toward abolishing the death penalty.
While these statistics reflect the highest annual executions since 2015—when at least 1,634 individuals faced capital punishment—the true figures may be more sobering. The report notes that the count excludes executions in China, where it is believed that thousands occur annually, as well as cases from North Korea and Vietnam, where such data is tightly guarded by government secrecy. The conditions in conflict zones, such as Gaza and Syria, further complicate the availability of accurate information.
Amnesty's report, titled "Death Sentences and Executions 2024," details a troubling rise in executions in Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. For instance, Iraq's execution rate nearly quadrupled from at least 16 to a concerning 63, while Saudi Arabia’s number of executions increased dramatically from 172 to at least 345. Iran recorded a rise in executions from at least 853 in 2023 to at least 972 in 2024.
The surge is chiefly attributed to the use of the death penalty against political dissidents and for drug-related offenses, with over 40% of the executions linked to the latter, challenging the validity of these practices under international human rights standards.
In a contrasting effort towards reform, Zimbabwe enacted legislation that abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes earlier this year, and there have been two notable cases where death row individuals in Japan and the US were exonerated and granted clemency.
Moreover, a significant majority of UN member states, over two-thirds, endorsed a moratorium on the use of the death penalty last year, indicating a potential shift in global attitudes towards capital punishment.
