IN the event Congress pushes through its revival of the death penalty, strongly endorsed by President Duterte in his second State of the Nation Address (Sona), here’s the global data culled by Database to guide our lawmakers that at least 1,032 people were executed worldwide last year, lower by 602 than the 2015 Amnesty International (AI) record of 1,634 executions, with most renditions took place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan, in that order.
AI said China remained the world’s top executioner—“but the true extent of the use of the death penalty in that country is unknown, as this data is considered a state secret; the global figure of at least 1,032 excludes the thousands of executions believed to have been carried out in China.”
Excluding China, 87 percent of all executions took place in just four countries—Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan, AI said.
For the first time since 2006, the US was not one of the five biggest executioners, falling to seventh behind Egypt. The 20 executions in the US was the lowest in the country since 1991.
Twenty-three countries, AI said, or about one in eight of all countries worldwide, are known to have carried out executions in 2016. This number has decreased significantly from 20 years ago (40 countries carried out executions in 1997). Belarus, Botswana, Nigeria and authorities within the State of Palestine resumed executions in 2016; Chad, India, Jordan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates—all countries that executed people in 2015—did not report any executions last year.
Two countries, Benin and Nauru, abolished the death penalty in law for all crimes in 2016. In total, 104 countries have done so—a majority of the world’s states. Only 64 countries were fully abolitionist in 1997.
“Commutations or pardons of death sentences were recorded in 28 countries in 2016. At least 60 people who had been sentenced to death were exonerated in nine countries in 2016: Bangladesh (4), China (5), Ghana (1), Kuwait (5), Mauritania (1), Nigeria (32), Sudan (9), Taiwan (1) and Vietnam (2),” AI said.
AI recorded 3,117 death sentences in 55 countries in 2016, a significant increase on the total for 2015 (1,998 sentences in 61 countries). Significant increases were recorded in 12 countries, but for some, such as Thailand, the increase is due to the fact that the authorities provided AI with detailed information.
At least 18,848 people were on death row at the end of 2016. The following methods of execution were used across the world: beheading, hanging, lethal injection and shooting. Public executions were carried out in Iran (at least 33) and North Korea.
Reports indicated that at least two people who were under 18 at the time of the crime for which they were sentenced to death were executed in 2016 in Iran.
In many countries where people were sentenced to death or executed, the proceedings did not meet international fair trial standards. In some cases, this included the extraction of “confessions” through torture or other ill treatment, including in Bahrain, China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Saudi Arabia.
AI data further stated that, “For the eighth consecutive year, the US was the only country to carry out executions in the Americas region with 20 people executed in 2016 (eight fewer than in 2015). This was the lowest number of executions recorded in a single year since 1991. This rate of executions is half that of 2007, a third that of 1997.
“Five states executed people in 2016 compared to six the previous
year. The number of executions carried out in Georgia almost doubled compared to the previous year (from five to nine); while the figure almost halved in Texas (from 13 to seven). Together these two states were responsible for the 80 percent of all executions in the country during the year. However, 2,832 people were still on death row in the US at the end of 2016.
“The number of death sentences in the US also decreased from 52 in 2015 to 32 in 2016 [38-percent decrease]. This is the lowest number recorded since 1973.
“Only three other countries in the region—Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago—imposed death sentences in 2016. Two Caribbean countries—Antigua and Barbuda and Bahamas—commuted their last remaining death sentences.
In Asia Pacific at least 130 executions were carried out in 2016 in 11 countries, down from at least 367 executions in 12 countries in 2015. This was mainly due to Pakistan, where executions decreased by 239 (73 percent). The figure for Asia Pacific does not include executions carried out in China, where executions were still in the thousands. But the true extent of the use of the death penalty in China is unknown, as this data is treated as a state secret.
“New information about executions in China, Malaysia and Vietnam exposed the extent to which governments are keeping their use of the death penalty secret. Pressured by parliament, Malaysia revealed that it had executed nine people in 2016, and that, as of April 30, 2016, 1,042 people were under sentence of death.
“New data from Vietnam showed that it was one of the world’s biggest executioners. According to a report of the Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, which became public in February 2017, 429 prisoners were executed between August 6, 2013, and June 30, 2016. Only China and Iran executed more people during that period.
“At least 1,224 new death sentences were imposed in 18 countries across the region, a noticeable rise from at least 661 in 2015 [an 85-percent increase]. This is linked to considerable increases in these figures for Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Thailand, with the Thai authorities providing a full figure of 216 new death sentences for the first time in recent years.”
To reach the writer, e-mail cecilio.arillo@gmail.com.