Overview of the death penalty worldwide in 2008.

The reported use of capital punishment diminished somewhat during 2008, there being at least 582 executions in 22 countries (down from 691 executions in 20 countries during 2007).  These are reported and verified judicial executions,  but there were almost certainly unreported ones in China and North Korea. Details of executions are very hard to verify in these countries because of the official secrecy surrounding them.  Executions are not always reported as actually having been carried out in Bangladesh and Pakistan.  According to Amnesty International there were a total of 2,390 executions during the year which was up from 1,252 in 2007.  Of these 1,718 took place in China, 346 in Iran and 36 in Pakistan, in all cases vastly more than were reported. 

Japan hanged 15 murderers during 2008, up from nine in 2007 and the most since 17 were executed in 1975. Some 100 prisoners remain on death rows there who have had their sentences confirmed.
In the U.SA, 37 men have been executed, down from 42 in 2007, due to the Supreme Court challenge to the constitutionality of lethal injections which meant that there were no executions until May.

59 countries still retain the death penalty although Argentina and Uzbekistan both abolished it during 2007.

The countries in which verifiable judicial executions took place during 2008 were :

Country

Shooting

Hanging

Beheading

Injection

Afghanistan

 

5

 

 

America *

 

 

 

36 + 1

Bangladesh

 

2

 

 

Belarus

3

 

 

 

Botswana

 

1

 

 

China

54+

Indonesia

12

 

 

 

Iran

 

273*

 

 

Iraq

 

28

 

 

Japan

 

15

 

 

Libya

4

 

 

 

North Korea

20 *

 

 

 

Pakistan

 

13 +

 

 

Saudi Arabia

2

 

101 *

 

Singapore

 

2

 

 

Somalia

1

 

 

 

St. Kitts

 

1

 

 

Sudan

 

5

 

 

UAE

1

 

 

 

Vietnam

3

 

 

 

Yemen

3

 

 

 

Totals

47

343

102

Unknown

* 1 execution in America was by electrocution.  Two executions by stoning have been reported in Iran. It is probable that one woman in Saudi Arabia was shot by a single executioner from behind, instead of beheaded. It has been claimed that in February the North Korean government executed 14 men and 8 women although they deny this.
For the monthly update of the names, dates and crimes of those executed click here

Methods used.
Executions by shooting were carried out in Belarus, Indonesia, Libya, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the UAE, Vietnam and Yemen.  China continues to use shooting which is carried out by a single bullet to the back of the head.  It is not known how many of the 48 reported executions were carried out by this method.  Indonesia, North Korea, Somalia and UAE use conventional firing squads.  Indonesia finally executed the three Bali Bombers in November and has 111 persons on death row at year end.  Yemen lays the prisoner on the ground and a single executioner shoots them with an automatic rifle. Somalia also uses a single executioner with an automatic rifle.  Asir province in Saudi Arabia uses shooting, at least for female criminals.

Hanging accounted for at least 343 executions with 339 men and 4 women being hanged in 10 countries. These being Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Botswana, Iran, Iraq, Japan,  Pakistan, Singapore, St. Kitts & Nevis and the Sudan.  Public and private hangings took place in Iran, all the rest being in private. 
With the exception of Iran, the other countries listed gave the prisoner a calculated drop.  It is not known what Afghanistan and Sudan use.  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).  The small island of St. Kitts & Nevis (population 40,000) carried out the first execution in the Caribbean for 8 years.

Saudi Arabia publicly beheaded 98 men and 1 woman for murder and drug offences during 2008, down from 157 in 2007. Saudi Arabia is the only country that normally uses beheading. 

Lethal injection was used for 36 executions in America, from 5th May, following a decision by the Supreme Court that this method was not unconstitutional.
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 2008. 

One man in the American state of South Carolina was put to death in the electric chair.  (James Earl Reed 20/06/08). Once again there were no executions by lethal gas in the US in 2008.

Evidence has emerged during January 2009 of two executions by stoning to death in Iran which occurred in mid December.  The men were executed for adultery.

Women.
Up to 30 women have been put to death during the year, four by hanging in Iran and one shot and two by beheading in Saudi Arabia.  21 unnamed women are reported to have been shot in North Korea for various offences against the state.  Indonesia and China have executed one woman each by shooting and Somalia one girl by stoning.   Click here for details.

Juveniles.
It is thought that eight juveniles have been hanged in Iran during 2008 and a 13 year old girl stoned to death in Somalia following a trial by an Islamic court .

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