Overview of the death penalty worldwide in 2014.

The reported use of the death penalty worldwide decreased during 2014, there being at least 789 executions in 18 countries (down from 888 executions in 18 countries in 2013, a 13.5% decrease). These are reported and verified judicial executions, but there will have been unreported ones in China, North Korea and Yemen. Details of executions are very hard to verify in these countries because of the official secrecy surrounding them.

Iran hanged at least 494 people during 2014, including at least 11 women, up from 493 in 2013. However precise figures are hard to verify, with some websites listing far more executions than those announced in the Iranian media, from which my information comes, e.g. The Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran claims that over 700 people were executed there during 2014.

Iraqi executions decreased from 169 in 2013 to 46 in 2014.

Saudi Arabia publicly beheaded 86 men and two women for murder, rape, sorcery and drug offences during this year.

The USA executed 33 men and two women in 7 states during 2014, down from 39 in 2013. These 35 had 43 victims and had spent an average of 17.6 years on death row. 72 people were sentenced to death in the USA this year, down from 78 in 2013, although there are a further 13 awaiting formal sentencing, only one of which is in question.

Egypt resumed executions during June having not had any since October 2011. Seven men and one woman were hanged for armed robbery and murder.

Singapore resumed executions in July when two men were hanged for drug trafficking, having waived further appeals. These were the first executions carried out here since a moratorium was imposed in July 2011.

Afghanistan hanged six criminals in October, five for a gang rape and one for gang related murders in the first executions there for two years.

On the 19th of December Pakistan lifted its moratorium on executions began executions for terrorist acts. This was in response to the Taliban massacre of children at an army school in Peshawar. Seven men had been hanged by the end of 2014.

Jordan resumed executions on the 21st of December and hanged 11 men for various murders. These were the first executions in the Kingdom since June 2006 and were in response to a rise in violent crime.

The countries in which verifiable judicial executions took place during 2014 are below. (method in brackets) Quasi judicial executions have taken place in the parts of Iraq and Syria controlled by ISIS and the Taliban and in Somalia controlled by rebel forces but these are excluded from these figures. It is thought that ISIS has executed over 2000 people during 2014.

Country	Totals
Afghanistan (H)	6
America (USA) (LI)	35
Belarus (S)	3
China (LI + S)	39
Egypt (H)	8
Iran (H)	494
Iraq (H)	46
Japan (H)	3
Jordan (H)	11
Palestine (H/S)	20
Pakistan (H)	7
Saudi Arabia (B)	88
Singapore (H)	2
Somalia (S)	16
Sudan (Darfur) (H)	2
Taiwan (S)	5
Vietnam (LI)	3
UAE (Sharjah) (S)	1
Total	789

Method	Beheading (B)	Hanging (H)	Lethal injection (LI)	Shooting (S)
Totals	88	580	38 + unknown for China	44 + unknown for China, North Korea, Yemen

For the monthly update of the names, dates and crimes of those executed click here.

Methods used.
568 men and 12 women were hanged in nine countries, see table above. Public and private hangings took place in Iran, all the rest were in private. Iran uses either a short drop or hoists the prisoner into the air with a hydraulic crane jib (used for many public hangings). Afghanistan also uses the short drop. The other countries listed gave the prisoner a calculated drop.

Saudi Arabia publicly beheaded 86 men and two woman for murder, armed robbery, sorcery and drug offences during 2014, up from 77 men and one woman in 2013.

All of the US executions in 2014 were carried out by lethal injection. China also uses lethal injection, carried out either in purpose built execution chambers or in specially equipped mini-busses. However it appears that shooting has been retained as well and is used for more heinous offenders. Normally the execution method is not reported in China.

Vietnam put to three men death by lethal injection during 2014.

Executions by shooting were carried out in China, North Korea, Palestine, Sharjah, Somalia and Taiwan.

Women.
At least 22 women were reported executed in six countries during 2014. At least 12 women were hanged - 11 in Iran, and one in Egypt. Two were beheaded in Saudi Arabia and two shot in Palestine. At least one woman was executed by lethal injection in China and two in the USA.
Click here for details of females executed in 2014.

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