AI warns that the death penalty has reached its highest level in five years

In 2022, there were 883 executions worldwide, the highest since 2017. Amnesty International, in its annual report on the death penalty, denounced the “surge of killings” in some countries.

“Registered executions in 2022 reached their highest level in five years due to bloodbaths carried out by the most notorious executioners in the Middle East and North Africa,” he told the NGO.

According to published data, this is an increase in the number of executions that does not include the thousands of executions believed to have taken place in China last year.The Middle East and North Africa led the way, with registered numbers rising from 520 in 2021 to 825 in 2022.

“Countries in the Middle East and North Africa have violated international law by increasing the number of executions in 2022. showing cruel indifference to human life. The number of people deprived of their lives has risen sharply across the region; Saudi Arabia executed 81 people in one day. More recently, in a desperate attempt to quell a popular uprising, Iran executed people simply for exercising their right to protest,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

It is alarming that 90% of the known executions in the world outside of China were carried out in just 3 countries in the region.. Reported executions in Iran increased from 314 in 2021 to 576 in 2022; in Saudi Arabia, the number tripled, from 65 in 2021 to 196 in 2022, the highest recorded by Amnesty International in 30 years, while Egypt executed 24 people.

The use of the death penalty remained secret in a number of countries, including China, North Korea and Vietnam. which means, according to the organization, that the actual global figure is much higher. Although the exact number of people executed in China is not known, it is clear that the country has remained the world’s leading executioner, ahead of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United States.

“In a cruel twist of fate, almost 40% of all known executions were for drug-related crimes. To make matters worse, this cruel punishment often disproportionately affects people from disadvantaged backgrounds,” said Agnès Callamard.

“The time has come for governments and the UN to step up pressure on those responsible for these egregious human rights violations and to ensure that international guarantees are in place,” he insisted.

Despite the bleak outlook, the report highlights a “ray of hope”: six countries have fully or partially abolished the death penalty by 2022.

Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic have abolished it for all crimes, while Equatorial Guinea and Zambia have abolished it only for common law crimes.