Death penalty report 2016

A global look at the state of the death penalty in 2016 - its use, legal issues, regional differences, resumed practices, and continued momentum toward abolition.

Amnesty International recorded more than 1,000 executions around the world in 2016. While this figure represented a reduction from 2015 – a year in which the organization logged a historical spike – more than 3,000 death sentences were imposed in 2016, an increase on the figure recorded for the previous year.

Two countries – Benin and Nauru – abolished the death penalty for all crimes, while Guinea abolished it for ordinary crimes.

In the Middle East and North Africa, the number of executions recorded decreased by 28%, but Iran and Saudi Arabia remained among the world’s top executioners.

In Asia-Pacific, the number of known executions decreased, mostly due to a significant reduction in Pakistan. China was once again the world’s lead executioner but figures remained classified as a state secret. The number of recorded death sentences in the Asia-Pacific region rose significantly, while new information which came to light in China, Malaysia and Viet Nam painted an alarming picture of the extensive resort to the death penalty in these countries.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, there were fewer executions recorded; however the number of death sentences logged rose by 145%, largely due to a steep rise in Nigeria.

The USA remained the only country to carry out executions in the Americas region, for the 8th consecutive year. However, the number of executions and death sentences continued to decrease. Two Caribbean countries – Antigua and Barbuda and Bahamas – commuted their last remaining death sentences.

In Europe and Central Asia, Belarus resumed executions after a 17-month hiatus. Belarus and Kazakhstan were the only two countries in the region to use the death penalty.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or the circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution.