Global Executions in 2023: Amnesty International Reports Highest Level since 2015

Global Executions Reach Highest Level Since 2015, Amnesty International Reports

Amnesty International’s 2023 annual report on the global use of the death penalty has revealed a stark and troubling trend – global executions have reached their highest level since 2015. The report, released on Wednesday, highlighted serious increases in executions, particularly in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2023, a total of 1,153 executions were recorded worldwide, representing a staggering increase of more than 30 per cent from the previous year. The report pointed to countries like Iran, where the death penalty was imposed for drug-related offenses, in clear violation of international human rights standards. This practice was found to disproportionately impact Iran’s most vulnerable communities.

Notably, Sub-Saharan Africa saw a significant rise in recorded executions, with a 66 per cent increase from 11 in 2022 to 38 in 2023. The majority of these executions took place in Somalia. This uptick followed a downturn in 2022 when several countries in the region abolished the death penalty for varying crimes.

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, expressed concern over the surge in executions in the region, with all 38 recorded executions occurring in Somalia. Chagutah highlighted the troubling fact that despite a reduction in executing countries, the number of death sentences in Sub-Saharan Africa sharply increased by 66%.

The report identified countries such as China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and the USA as having the highest number of executions in 2023. Iran alone accounted for 74 per cent of all recorded executions, followed by Saudi Arabia at 15 per cent. The USA, the only country in the Americas to carry out executions for 14 consecutive years, also saw an uptick in executions in 2023.

Amnesty International raised concerns about the use of the death penalty in ways that contradict international law, citing instances where proceedings did not meet fair trial standards and where the penalty was imposed for crimes not involving intentional killing. Despite the increase in executions, it was noted that 112 countries worldwide are now fully abolitionist, with 144 having abolished the death penalty in law or practice.

As the international community gears up for the upcoming UN General Assembly, Amnesty International is urging governments to support calls for an end to the use of the death penalty as a crucial demonstration of commitment to human rights.