Death Penalty

China pips Saudi, Iran and Egypt to become world’s top executioner

90% of the total executions in the world carried out in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran. While the year-on-year number of executions in the top 3 countries increased massively, only Egypt saw significant decrease from 83 last year to 24 in 2022

'Killing machine' Iran snuffed out life of 582 people in 2022; over 150 executed so far this year

Iran's penal code allows execution by methods that include firing squad, stoning and even crucifixion, but all executions in the recent years have been carried out by hanging

Who is the ‘ninja killer’ set to be the Florida’s 100th execution?

Florida has ramped up executions under Republican governor Ron DeSantis, with a man known as the ‘ninja killer’ set to die Wednesday for the 1989 slayings of a couple visiting the state from New Jersey. Louis Bernard Gaskin earned the moniker because he wore all-black ninja clothing during the crime

Malaysia set to end mandatory death penalty: Which serious crimes will be exempted under new reforms?

Malaysia’s lower house of Parliament has approved a bill that would scrap mandatory capital punishment for certain offences such as kidnapping and some firearm crimes. The country put a moratorium on executions in 2018, but courts have continued to hand out death sentences

Why the idea of firing squads for executions is making a comeback in US

Idaho lawmakers passed a bill this week seeking to add the state to the list of those authorising firing squads. Fresh interest comes as states scramble for alternatives to lethal injections after pharmaceuticals barred the use of their drugs

Uganda passes bill banning identifying as LGBTQ: Other countries where it is illegal to be gay

Uganda has approved a bill making it unlawful to identify as members from the LGBTQ community. The legislation will now be sent to President Yoweri Museveni to be signed into law. There are 70 countries that have laws criminalising homosexuality, and nearly half of these are in Africa

Death by Bullet: Why does Idaho want to bring back firing squads for executing prisoners?

Idaho lawmakers have passed a bill that would allow firing squads to execute inmates on death row. The bill has now been sent to the governor for approval. But why does the US state want to revert to this old form of capital punishment?

Germany says expelling two Iran diplomats over dual national death penalty

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement Berlin was "declaring two Iranian embassy staff members to be persona non grata and ordering them to leave Germany immediately".

Male Iranian protestors raped, ice placed under testicles in prison, says Amnesty report

One of the male protestor named Mehdi Mohammadifard was reportedly raped by prison guards and brutally beaten, according to the Amnesty report

Brazen in the face of protests, Iran has executed 55 people so far

Experts say security forces have shown “a flagrant disregard for human life,” after a protest movement against the Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has subsided since November last year.