ASIA - Amnesty: executions increased in 2014

Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) - An alarming number of countries used the death penalty, especially in Asia to tackle real or perceived threats to state security linked to terrorism, crime or internal instability in 2014, Amnesty International found in its annual review of the death penalty worldwide. Executions were recorded in 22 countries in 2014, the same number as 2013.
China alone carried out more executions than the rest of the world put together, says a note sent to Fides.
The other countries making up the world’s top five executioners in 2014 were Iran (289 officially announced and at least 454 more that were not acknowledged by the authorities, Saudi Arabia (at least 90, Iraq (at least 61) and the USA (35).
"The disturbing trend of states using the death penalty to combat threats against state security was visible around the world. with China, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq all executing people accused of "terrorism", the text reads.
Pakistan resumed executions in the wake of the horrific Taliban attack on a Peshawar school. Seven people were executed in December, and the government has said it will put hundreds more convicted on “terrorism”-related charges to death. Executions continued at a high rate in 2015.
"In countries including Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Iran, governments continued to use the death penalty as a tool to suppress political dissent". Other countries "made use of executions in similarly flawed attempts to tackle crimes rates. Jordan ended an eight-year moratorium in December, putting eleven murder convicts to death, with the government saying it was a move to end a surge in violent crime. In Indonesia, the government announced plans to execute mainly drug traffickers to tackle a public safety “national emergency” – promises it made good on in 2015. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 01/04/2015)