Global executions experienced a notable increase in 2024, climbing to 1,518 recorded deaths across 15 countries. This marks the highest figure since 2015, according to Amnesty International’s recently released annual report on the use of the death penalty. The report highlights the significant role that Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia played in this increase, as these countries were responsible for 91% of all known executions.
Iran, in particular, accounted for nearly two-thirds of the executions, as revealed in recent findings. Amnesty International condemned the use of the death penalty in Iran and Saudi Arabia as a tool to suppress dissent and silence protesters. Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, expressed concern over this trend, emphasizing the severe implications for those who challenge authority in these nations.
Notably absent from Amnesty’s figures are the thousands of executions believed to have occurred in China, recognized as the world’s leading executioner, as well as data from North Korea and Vietnam due to governmental opacity. Despite the rise in total executions, the number of countries carrying out executions reached its lowest on record for the second consecutive year at 15 nations.
The report also points out a troubling increase in executions linked to drug-related offences. Amnesty maintains that such executions violate international law, with over 40% of all recorded executions in 2024 tied to drug charges, particularly in Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, and Singapore. Callamard denounced these actions for disproportionately affecting marginalized communities and lacking any proven deterrent effect on drug trafficking.
Further concerns arise from developments in regions like Africa, where the Democratic Republic of Congo announced plans to resume executions, and Burkina Faso’s military-led government is considering reinstating the death penalty for ordinary crimes. In the United States, 26 executions took place in 2024, amidst President Donald Trump’s public endorsement of capital punishment as a means to combat violent crime.
There are, however, indications of progress towards the abolition of the death penalty. Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes, while policy changes in Malaysia have reduced the population at risk of execution by over 1,000 individuals. Japan also set a precedent by acquitting Hakamada Iwao, who had been on death row for nearly 50 years. In the United States, Alabama inmate Rocky Myers had his death sentence commuted in March 2025 after extensive global advocacy efforts.
According to Amnesty, these developments suggest that the tide is turning against the death penalty. Agnès Callamard remains hopeful, expressing confidence that the abolition of capital punishment may soon become widespread. As of 2024, 113 countries have abolished the death penalty entirely, while 145 nations have either abolished it in law or do not practice it. Furthermore, a significant majority of UN member states voted for a moratorium on executions in December, reflecting an evolving global consensus against capital punishment.
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