Death penalty 2015: the good and the bad

The first six months of 2015 have seen starkly contrasting developments on the death penalty. While the bad news has been very bad, the good news has been very good.

The bad

1. Indonesia resumed executions.

The year began on a tragic note when Indonesia, ignoring pleas from around the world, put six people to death for drug trafficking. The executions were the first in Indonesia since 2013.

2. Pakistan may soon be counted among the world’s top executioners.

Pakistan is edging closer to membership of the unenviable club of the world’s top executioners (China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and USA). At least 150 people have been put to death since a freeze on executions was lifted in December 2014, following a Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar.

3. Indonesia and Pakistan used crime and terrorism as an excuse to bring back executions.

Both Indonesia and Pakistan justified bringing back the death penalty by claiming it is an effective response to crime and terrorism.  But there is no evidence to show that the death penalty is more effective at addressing crime than a prison term, nor does abolition lead to a sharp increase in crime, as some fear.

4. Iran looks set to surpass its execution figures for 2014.

Iran has so far this year executed nearly 700 people – many of these executions were not officially acknowledged. In 2014, Amnesty recorded at least 743 executions in Iran over 12 months. That the country put more than 600 people to death just six months into this year is deeply troubling.

5.  Saudi Arabia has already executed more people than it did in 2014.

Amnesty has recorded 102 executions in Saudi Arabia so far this year, exceeding the total number of executions (at least 90) for 2014. Almost half of these executions were for drug-related offences.

The good

1. Three countries abolished the death penalty in the first three months of 2015.

In January Madagascar abolished the death penalty for all crimes. Fiji followed suit in February. And in March, the South American State of Suriname also removed the death penalty from its legal books. The abolition of the death penalty in three countries in the space of three months gives further momentum to a trend that has been evident for decades – the world is consigning capital punishment to history.

2. Another three countries are close to abolishing the death penalty.

The Mongolian Parliament is considering a draft penal code abolishing the death penalty. Burkina Faso and South Korea are also considering similar draft laws.

3. The trend towards abolition in the USA is picking up steam.

One more US state, Nebraska, has abolished the death penalty, becoming the 19^th abolitionist state in the USA. And in February, Pennsylvania’s governor announced a suspension of all executions.

4. Those countries that execute are in the minority.

Over the last five years, the average number of countries that have carried out executions each year stands at 22.

5. More than half the world’s countries have abolished the death penalty.

In total, 101 countries have completely abolished the death penalty – that’s more than half the countries in the world. Another 33 countries are abolitionist in practice – meaning they have not executed anyone for at least 10 years and have a long-standing policy of not executing. Despite the sharp rise in executions in some countries, abolitionist countries still represent the clear global majority.

In early 2016, we will release our annual report on the state of the death penalty worldwide. While we continue to work in support of abolitionist initiatives in different regions of the world, we can only hope that we will have a more one-sidedly positive story to tell then. Learn more.

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