In 2007 the world continued to move closer to the universal abolition of the capital punishment. Historical landmark towards the worldwide abolition of death penalty is the resolution on moratorium on executions endorsed by the United Nations 62nd General Assembly on 18 December 2007. 104 UN member states voted in favour of the ground-breaking resolution. 54 countries voted against, while 29 abstained. The resolution was supported by 87 governments from all regions of the world, as well as by NGOs including the World Coalition against the Death Penalty, the Community of Sant'Egidio, Hands Off Cain and Amnesty International.
More than two thirds of the countries in the world have now abolished the death penalty in law or practice. By the end of the 2007, 91 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes. During the year, three countries (Albania, Cook Islands and Rwanda) abolished the death penalty for all crimes and one country (Kyrgyzstan) abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. One state of the USA (New Jersey) joined the global trend towards ending the capital punishment. New Jersey was the first US state to abolish the capital punishment by law since the death penalty was reintroduced in the US in 1972.
In 2007 at least 33 countries were abolitionist in practice: they had not carried out any executions for the previous 10 years or more and were either believed to have an established practice of not carrying out executions or had made an international commitment not to do so. AI reclassified four retentionist countries to abolitionist in practice (Eritrea, Gabon, Laos and South Korea) in 2007. The death penalty has now been abolished in law or practice by 135 countries as Uzbekistan abolished the death penalty in January 2008.
63 other countries and territories retained the death penalty, but only 24 countries carried out executions and 51 passed death sentences in 2007. During 2007, at least 1252 people were executed and at least 3347 people were sentenced to death in 51 countries. These were only minimum figures; the true figures were certainly higher.
As in previous years, the vast majority of executions worldwide were carried out in a small handful of countries. In 2007, 88 per cent of all known executions took place in five countries: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the USA. Saudi Arabia had the highest number of executions per capita, followed by Iran and Libya.
Worst offenders
1)
China
470+
2)
Iran
317+
3)
Saudi Arabia
143+
4)
Pakistan
135+
5)
USA
42
In 2007 the Chinese authorities again refused to publish statistics on the government's use of the death penalty leaving the world in the dark about the number of executions carried out. Amnesty International believes there is likely to have been a significant drop in executions during 2007 after Supreme People’s Court (SPC) review for all death sentences was restored on 1 January. In 2007 470 executions were recorded by AI, but this number is based on public reports available and serves as an absolute minimum. The US-based organization “Dui Hua Foundation” estimates that 6,000 people were executed last year based on figures obtained from local officials. In a country as vast as China with tight government controls on information and the media only the authorities know the reality behind the use of the death penalty.
TAKE ACTION!Urge China's Prime Minister to Abolish the Death Penalty Based on public reports, Amnesty International estimates that at least 1,010 people were executed and 2,790 sentenced to death in 2006 in China. The death penalty violates the Olympic ideal of preserving human dignity. » Download the petition (PDF) to Prime Minister Wen Jiabao urging him to respect the Olympic ideal, and to take positive steps towards abolishing the death penalty in China.