Global Executions Surge Amid Mixed Trends in Death Penalty Practices

A recent Amnesty International report highlights that global executions have surged in 2024, the highest recorded level since 2015, with significant contributions from Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Despite this rise, the overall number of countries executing death penalties has dropped to just 15, signifying a complex and evolving landscape surrounding capital punishment.

In a striking turn of events, the global number of state executions has climbed to its highest level in a decade, according to a new report from Amnesty International. The total executions recorded in 2024 exceeded 1,500, with Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia responsible for a staggering 1,380 of these. By contrast, the United States accounted for 25 executions in the same year.

Despite this uptick in executions, the report reveals that only 15 countries are currently employing the death penalty, marking the lowest count in recorded history for the second consecutive year. Amnesty International's Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, expressed a hopeful outlook on the future of capital punishment, suggesting that "the tide is turning," and emphasized that it is only a matter of time before the world sees an end to the death penalty.

While the reported figures are the highest since 2015—when at least 1,634 executions were documented—the actual number may be much greater. Notably, the report does not account for thousands of executions believed to be carried out in China, which classifies such data as a state secret. Other countries, including North Korea and Vietnam, are similarly unaccounted for due to restricted access to information.

The report, titled "Death Sentences and Executions 2024," attributes the rise in executions primarily to two factors: the strategic use of capital punishment against protest movements and the application of the death penalty for drug-related offenses. Amnesty noted that over 40% of the executions in 2024 were linked to drug-related crimes, which it declares as unlawful under human rights standards.

Noteworthy developments occurred alongside this grim data; Zimbabwe recently enacted legislation abolishing the death penalty for ordinary crimes. Additionally, since September 2024, there have been two significant instances—the acquittal of a death row inmate in Japan and clemency granted to a prisoner in the United States—that indicate a potential shift in the global perspective on capital punishment.

Lastly, it’s relevant to mention that over two-thirds of all UN member states supported a moratorium on the death penalty in the previous year, suggesting a growing international sentiment against its use.