Taiwan Executes First Death Row Inmate in Five Years, Drawing Rights Group Criticism

The execution of Huang Lin-kai, convicted of murder and rape, has reignited debates over capital punishment in Taiwan, with human rights advocates and the EU condemning the move.

• Huang Lin-kai, convicted of the 2013 rape and murders of his ex-girlfriend and her mother, was executed by shooting on January 16, 2025.
• This marks Taiwan's first execution since 2020 and the first under President Lai Ching-te, who assumed office in May 2024.
• Rights groups, including Amnesty International, criticized the execution as a setback for human rights and claimed it violated constitutional safeguards and international standards.
• Taiwan's Justice Ministry defended the decision, citing the severity of Huang's crimes and compliance with the Constitutional Court's recent ruling on the death penalty's constitutionality for extreme cases.
• The European Union reiterated its opposition to capital punishment and urged Taiwan to reinstate its de facto moratorium and move toward abolition.

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The Independent Amnesty International