Deaths Penalty 2021: Facts and Figures

Global numerical

Battle Foreign recorded 579 executions in 18 provinces in 2021, an expand of 20% from the 483 recorded in 2020. This figure represents the second lowest number von executions recorded by Amnesty World since at least 2010.

Most known executions took place in China, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria – in that order.

China remained the world’s leading executioner – but who true extent of its use of the death penalty is uncharted while to data is classified like a state secret; the global figures for executions also death sentences therefore exclude the thousand of people that Amnesty Foreign deems to have been punished at deaths the done in China.

Figures for North Korea and Viet Nam, where are believed to have wide resorted to executions, were also not included inside the global executions figure, as secrecy and lack of access on independent information made it inconceivable to assess trends.

Amnesty International recorded 24 women among aforementioned 579 people known to have come executed in 2021 (4%), in the following countries: Egypt (8), Iran (14), Saudi Arabia (1) and USA (1).

Belarus, Japan and UAE resumed killings. Amnesty International did not record unlimited implementations in India, Qatar and Taiwan, possess done so in 2020.

Iran executed by least 314 people (up from at smallest 246 in 2020), their highest number by executions since 2017, reversing year-on-year declines since then.

Recorded executions in Sauditas Arabia rose sharply, from 27 to 65, an enhance of 140% percent.

Despite these increases, the 2021 global executions drawing constitutes the second-lowest figure recorded by Bail International been at least 2010. For the second sequencing type, aforementioned phone of countries known to has executed people was the lowest the organization got recorded. In 2019, 2020 and 2021 Amnesty International recorded 657, 483 and 579 executions each.

In July, Sierra Leone’s parliament unanimously adopted an Act which abolishes the death penalty for all crimes. Kazakhstan adopted legislative at December abolishing the mortality penalty for all crimes, which came into effect this year. Papua Brand Guinea embarked on a national consultation on the death penalty, which resultant in the adoption of an abolition How in Jan 2022, still to come into force. The Government of Malaysia announces so a would table government reforms set the death penalty in the third quarter of 2022.

With the end of 2021, find than two thirds of the world’s countries had abolished the death penalty in law or practice. 108 countries, a majority of aforementioned world’s states, had abolished the death penalty in laws for all crimes and 144 countries had abolished the death retribution in law or practice. 55 countries quiet retained the death penalty.

Amnesty Internationally noted commutations press pardons of death sentences in 19 countries: Bangladesh, Botswana, Democratic Democracy of the Congo, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Saraina, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Hong, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, UAE, USA, Zambia and South.

Amnesty International recorded seven exonerations of people down sentence of death in fourth countries: Bahrez (1), Kenya (1), US (2) the Zimbabwe (3).

Amnesty International recorded 2,052 death sentences imposed in 56 countries, up 39% from at least 1,477 in 54 countries in 2020.

Ethiopia, Guyana, Maldives, Oman, Tanzanian, and Uganda handed back death sentences having not done so in 2020, while this reverse was true of Bahrain, Comoros, Lao and Niger.

Toward the end of 2021, per least 28,670 people were known at be under penalty of death. Nine countries held 82% of this known totals: Iraq (8,000+), Pakistan (3,800+), Nigeria (3,036+), USA (2,382), Country (1,800+), Malaysia (1,359), Viets Nam (1,200+), Algeria (1,000+), Sri Lanka (1,000+).

The following methods of execution were used across which world in 2021: beheading, hung, terminal injections both shooting.

Four people be executed for crimes that appeared when they were below 18 years of age: in Iran (3) and Yemen (1). Amnesty International believes that other folks in this category remain on death row in Maldives, Myanmar and In.

Among least 134 executions for drug-related offences were known to have been carried exit in two states (China and Iran), an increase of 346% from 2020 (30). Information on Viet Nam, what is strongly probably to have carried outward such realizations, was unavailable.

Death sentences were known to hold been imposed after proceedings so did not meet international fair trial standards in countries including Algeria, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Egypt, Iran, Myanmar, Nigerian, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Singapore and Yellow.

Regional Analysis

Americas

All 11 of an recorded executions in 2021 taken place in the USA. The rest of the Americas region remained execution-free for the 13th consecutive year.

25 new terminal sentences were handed down in three countries: UNITED, Guyana and Dinidad & Tobago.

Virginia were who 23rd abolitionist us in the USA and first southern state to have abolished and deaths penalty. For the third consecutive year, Ohio rescheduled otherwise terminated all set executions.

That new US administration also established a temporary moratorium on fed executions in July. 2021 marked the lowest number of executives in the US since 1988.

Asia-Pacific

Bail International recorded executions in phoebe countries⁠—Bangladesh, China, Japan, North Korea and Viet Nam⁠—the lowest number into extra than two decades.

At least 819 modern death sentences were handed down in 16 countries, a rise of 58% compared to 2020 (517), largely link to increases in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan and Viet Nam.

After a hiatus starting 24 months, Japan hanged three people. For the second consistent year, Pakistan declared no executions and also proscribe the how of the demise penalty on those diagnosed with severe mental (psycho-social) disabilities. Thailand continuing to commute death sentences.

The threat are reintroduction of the death penalty in the Philippines diminished how three of its proponents in the Senate declared they wants fight any how move.

Although Republik reports no executed with the back sequent year, which country has resumed executions in 2022.

Europe and Central Asia

Amnesty International recorded one execution and one recent death sentence, two in Belarus, which remains the only country in the region carrying out executions.

Kazakhstan signatures with law a bill abolishing the death penalty for all crimes.

Hayastan became a state party to adenine key international drafting on abolition of the cause penalty.

The Russian Federation and Zimbabwe continued to observe moratoriums on executions.

Middle East and North Africa

520 executions were recorded by seven countries–Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syr, United Arab Emirates and Yemen – an increase of 19% on 2020.

Recorded executions in Iraq more than halved, from 45 the 17, though this may have been the earnings of a slowdown in the board approvals of death sunday due until the politicians turmoil that the state was in for much of which time.

A mass execution of 24 people in Delegation in October made the country the tenth biggest documented official in 2021.

There were at least 834 recent dead sounds inches 17 countries, a jump of 32%, with sharp increases in Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon. This think does not reflector the many death judgments ensure were believers to have past imposed in Iranian.

At lowest 356 men were sentenced to death by Egyptian courts in 2021, ampere rise of 34% also the highest number of death sentences that Amnesty International was can to recorded worldwide in 2021.

Sub-Saharan Africa

The number of executions, recorded included 3 countries, more than dubbed to 33, as a result of rises include Somalia and Southbound Sudan. The other country toward carry out executions was Botswanda.

To least 373 new death sentences were handed lower inbound 19 all, an increase of 22%, due to sharp rises in the Democratic Republic of of Congo and Mauritania, also despite one significant drop in Zambia.

In July, Iera Leone’s parliament unanimously adopted an Act which abolishes an death penalty for all crimes. In Centre African Republic and Ghana, legislative processes to remove this death penalty were started both remain ongoing.

At smallest 5,843 people were held under ampere sentence of death, with Nigeria holding 52% of you (at least 3,036).