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4w ago

Global Executions Hit Decade-High in 2024, Driven by Middle East Nations

Amnesty International reports a sharp rise in executions, with Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq accounting for over 90% of cases, while global abolition efforts continue to gain traction.

Activists attend a candlelight vigil against the impending execution of Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, sentenced to death for drug trafficking into Singapore, outside the Singaporean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on February 19, 2025.
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Overview

  • At least 1,518 executions were recorded in 2024, marking a 32% increase from the previous year and the highest figure since 2015, according to Amnesty International.
  • Iran led global execution numbers with 972 cases, followed by Saudi Arabia at 345 and Iraq at 63, collectively responsible for over 90% of known executions.
  • The death penalty is increasingly being used to suppress dissent and target minorities, particularly in Iran and Saudi Arabia, where protesters and marginalized groups face harsh punishments.
  • Drug-related offenses accounted for approximately 42% of known executions, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged communities and raising concerns about human rights violations.
  • Despite the surge, only 15 countries carried out executions in 2024, reflecting a broader global shift toward abolition, with 145 nations now having eliminated the death penalty in law or practice.