The Death Penalty

Amnesty International have reported that executions worldwide in 2004 were the highest for nearly a decade, with 3,797 people executed. The worst countries were:

1. China - at least 3,400 (sources inside the country estimate the total to be nearer 10,000)
2. Iran - at least 159
3. Viet Nam - at least 64
4. USA - 59 (down from 65 in 2003)

"Despite the worldwide trend towards abolition, these figures highlight the ongoing need for concerted action by the international community to consign the death penalty to history."

"It is worrying that the vast majority of those executed in the world did not have fair trials. Many were convicted on the basis of ’evidence’ extracted under torture."

The abolition of capital punishment, despite these figures, did advance, with another five countries abolishing the death penalty for all crimes in 2004. Bravo Bhutan, Greece Samoa, Senegal, and Turkey. At the end of the year 120 countries had abolished capital punishment in law or practice.

See here for the full report.