China executed “thousands” of people in 2010, according to estimates by the London-based rights group, while Iran killed at least 252 to come in second, North Korea at least 60, Yemen at least 53, the United States 46, and Saudi Arabia at least 27.
The United States was for years third in the execution sweepstakes, behind China and Iran, but has now slipped to fifth place as more states ban it and other states resort to it less frequently.
Globally executions are declining, with official executions—excluding China, which keeps its figures secret—falling from at least 714 in 2009 to at least 527 in 2010, according to Amnesty’s annual report on the issue, released Monday.
Taking into account varying populations, Iran appears to be the biggest executioner on a per million population basis. China would have had to execute more than 4,500 people last year to exceed the rate in Iran.
Last year saw Mongolia declare a moratorium on the death penalty in what Amnesty said was an “important milestone” for Asia; and Gabon became the 16th African Union member country to abolish the practice.
Amnesty Secretary General Salil Shetty emphasized that a number of countries continue to use the death penalty beyond the most serious crimes, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, where it was frequently used for drug offences or adultery. In Iran, the bulk of the executions are for drug trafficking.
The Amnesty report notes China has taken steps to remove the death penalty from a number of offences in its criminal code, but Amnesty said the crimes involved have rarely been punished by execution in recent years.
Iran reported 252 executions, but Amnesty said it had received “credible reports” of more than 300 others, mostly in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. Most were for drugs offences. If that report is true, Iran’s execution rate could be double, triple or even quadruple China’s execution rate, and would be 50 times the US rate. Amnesty said some people were sentenced to die by stoning in Iran last year, but no stoning executions were carried out in 2010.
Overall, 96 countries—exactly half the members of the UN—have now abolished the death penalty. Only 23 of the other 96 actually carried out executions last year, although this was an increase on the 19 that carried them out in 2009.
In the United States last year, the federal government carried out no executions. The 46 executions were carried out in 12 states, with Texas accounting for 17 or more than a third. Five states conducted a solitary execution each.
