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

China has emerged as the top executioner of people in the entire world with thousands of death sentences issued in 2022 alone, Amnesty international has revealed. According to the report, China is followed by Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt with 576, 196 and 24 executions, respectively. The report claimed that 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 China, Iran and Saudi Arabia increased massively, only Egypt saw a decrease significant decrease compared to the previous year, which saw 83 executions. Saudi Arabia witnessed a threefold increase in executions compared to the previous year, marking the highest number recorded by Amnesty in the past three decades. Iran experienced an 83 percent surge in executions, raising concerns from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who criticized the “deeply alarming” number of executions in the country. On average, Iran has been conducting over ten executions per week. Amnesty’s report also highlights a 53 percent increase in global executions. However, it emphasizes that several countries took decisive steps towards abolishing or reducing the use of the death penalty in 2022. In fact, six countries either fully or partially abolished the death penalty during the year, signaling a global trend of moving away from this form of punishment. Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, and the Central African Republic have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, marking a significant step toward eliminating capital punishment. The Middle East and North African countries witnessed a notable surge in the number of executions, as highlighted in Amnesty’s report. According to the report, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Palestine resumed executions after a period of several years during which they had refrained from carrying out such actions. In March 2022, Saudi Arabia made headlines by executing 81 individuals in a single day, citing their involvement in “terror” related crimes. However, many of the defendants were actually convicted for charges such as participating in protests and undermining social cohesion. Saudi Arabia is notorious for conducting unfair trials and extracting forced “confessions” through the use of torture on detainees. The secretary general of Amnesty International expressed concern over the situation, stating, “Countries in the Middle East and North Africa region violated international law as they escalated executions in 2022, demonstrating a callous disregard for human life.” “The region witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of lives lost, with Saudi Arabia executing a staggering 81 people in one day. Most recently, Iran resorted to executing individuals simply for exercising their right to protest in a desperate attempt to suppress the popular uprising.” Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.