Executions in 2024 surged to their highest levels in a decade, driven primarily by Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, according to Amnesty International’s annual report.
The global total of recorded executions reached 1,518, marking a 32% increase from the previous year and the highest since 2015.
However, Amnesty found that the actual number is likely much higher, as the figure excludes executions in China, North Korea, and Vietnam - countries notorious for their use of the death penalty.
Despite the rise in executions, the NGO claimed that the number of countries still carrying out executions has dropped to an all-time low, with just 15 nations recorded in 2024. This indicates a broader trend toward abolition, as 113 countries have now fully abolished the death penalty, and 145 have done so in practice or law.
The overwhelming majority of executions in 2024 are based in the Middle East, particularly in Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. These three countries accounted for 91% of global executions, with Iran alone responsible for 972 deaths, 64% of the worldwide total.
In Iraq, executions nearly quadrupled, rising from at least 16 in 2023 to at least 63 in 2024, all for terrorism-related offences. Saudi Arabia saw a dramatic increase in its death toll, doubling its executions from 172 to at least 345.
Amnesty described the situation in Iran as particularly alarming, where executions spiked by 119, many of them targeting individuals involved in protests, including those linked to the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard said: "The death penalty is an abhorrent practice with no place in today’s world. While secrecy continued to shroud scrutiny in some countries that we believe are responsible for thousands of executions, it’s evident that countries that retain the death penalty are an isolated minority."
The use capital punishment continues to be particularly rampant in the Middle East, where it is often employed to punish dissent and silence protestors.
Callamard added: "Those who dare challenge authorities have faced the cruellest of punishments, particularly in Iran and Saudi Arabia, with the death penalty used to silence those brave enough to speak out."
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