|
Overview of the death penalty worldwide in 2007. |
The use
of capital punishment accelerated during 2007 and led to at least 691
executions in 20 countries (up from 518 executions in 19 countries during
2006). These are reported and verified executions,
but there are additionally estimated to be 470 in
The
countries in which verifiable executions took place during 2007 were :
|
Country |
Shooting |
Hanging |
Beheading |
Injection |
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
42 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
470
estimated |
|||
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
265 |
|
|
|
Iraq |
|
29 |
|
|
|
Japan |
|
9 |
|
|
|
Kuwait |
|
1 |
|
|
|
North Korea |
8 |
|
|
|
|
Pakistan |
|
135 |
|
|
|
Saudi Arabia |
|
|
156 |
|
|
Singapore |
|
2 |
|
|
|
Somalia |
|
3 |
|
|
|
Sudan |
|
2 |
|
|
|
Syria |
|
5 |
|
|
|
Yemen |
7 |
|
|
|
|
Totals |
37 |
458 |
155 |
41+ |
* 1 execution in
For the names, dates and crimes of those executed click
here
Methods
used.
Executions
by shooting were carried out in Belarus, Indonesia, North Korea, Somalia and
Yemen.
Hanging
has become much more widely used during 2007 – some 454 men and 4 women being
hanged in 10 countries. These being Bangladesh, Botswana, Iran, Iraq, Japan,
Kuwait, Pakistan, Singapore, Sudan and Syria. Singapore does not report
executions and the figure above represents only the known one. The figure for
Public and private hangings took place in
With the exception of Iran, the other countries listed gave the prisoner a
drop. In Iran hangings are carried out
using either a short drop or by hoisting the prisoner into the air (used at
least for public hangings).
Saudi
Arabia publicly beheaded 153 men and 3 women for murder and drug offences
during 2007, the highest number ever recorded there. Saudi Arabia is the only
country that normally uses beheading.
Lethal
injection was used for 41 executions in America, but has been suspended from
the end of September 2007, waiting a decision by the Supreme Court in January
2008 on whether the drugs used may cause the prisoner severe suffering which
would be against the Constitution.
It used in some Chinese cities and provinces, around half of the 404 Intermediate
Peoples’ Courts have now adopted this method, although no figures are available
and where executions are reported, the method used generally is not. Guatemala, Taiwan and Thailand, the other
three countries that use lethal injection, carried out no executions in
2007.
One man
in the American state of Tennessee elected to die in the electric chair. (Daryl Holton 12/09/2007) Once again there
were no executions by lethal gas reported in 2007. There were no confirmed executions by
stoning, although it is possible that two were carried out in Iran.
Women.
Seven
women have been put to death during the year, 4 by hanging in Iran and 3 by
beheading in Saudi Arabia. Click here for details.
Juveniles.
At
least 1 juvenile has been hanged in Iran during 2007 for a crime he allegedly
committed when he was 13.
Death penalty developments during 2007.
In
July 2007 Rwanda abolished the death penalty. Bahrain carried out its first executions for
nearly 11 years in 2006 and local human rights groups are pressing for
abolition. The US state of New Jersey abolished the death penalty on the 17th
of December 2007, having not had an execution since 1963. Pakistan has had a
significant upsurge in hangings during the year, but still has a huge death row
population, estimated at over 3600.