Top 10 Countries with Death Penalties

According to Amnesty International, at least 5,837 executions were carried out in 22 countries and territories in 2010. This article looks at the top 10 countries with death penalties and capital punishment. It also examines those who use it and are out of control.

1. China:

Statistics: 3400 executions in 2004

470 executions in 2008

5000 executions in 2010

Source: Amnesty International

Crimes: Drug trafficking, terrorism, producing or distributing poisonous and harmful goods, sex trafficking and credit card frauds. There are 68 crimes in total.

Description: China does not release its numbers of those executed. Scholars believe the numbers are higher than Amnesty International is providing. All in all, 60-80% of worldwide executions are done in China.

2. United States:

Statistics: 34 of 50 States exercise a legal form of capital punishment

52 executions in 2009

37 executions in 2008

98 executions in 1999

Crimes: Homicide, espionage, treason

Description: The number of death sentences has decreased. Texas continues to be the state with the most executions. They have executed 473 individuals since 1976.

3. Saudi Arabia:

Statistics: 39 executions in 2006

144 executions in 2007

27 executions in 2010

Crimes: Murder, rape, adultery, robbery, drug use, trafficking and abandoning Islam

Description: Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia is a public spectacle. Murder is grounds for decapitation.

4. Iran:

Statistics: 177 executions in 2006

317 executions in 2007

312 executions in 2010

Crimes: Murder, rape, adultery, robbery, drug use, trafficking, pedophilia, homosexuality, espionage

Description: Iran has been lethal in its capital punishment methods. It has resorted to stoning and has executed minors. There are two types of capital punishments: 1) retribution-for murder; 2) regular for crimes such as rape and robbery.

5. North Korea:

Statistics: 60 executions in 2010

75 executions between 2007 and 2010

Crimes: Murder, theft, political dissidence, treason, espionage, defection, looking at media not approved by government.

Description: Executions are done in public places by firing squads. Most recently in 2007, a stone cutting factory chief was executed for not providing info about father’s background. The victim was 74 years old.

6. Burma:

Statistics: The numbers are low because people have been executed for other means. There are also no reliable information about the statistics of death penalty. Burmese Junta fails to provide any.

Crimes: Political Opposition, Murder, Rape

Description: Burma has been cracking down on political opponents since 1989 when the military Junta came to power. The martial law of 1989 allows the military to impose death penalty on those who oppose the government.

7. Pakistan:

Statistics: 135 people were executed in 2007 (mostly for murder)

Crimes: Blasphemy, adultery, murder. 27 crimes are executable altogether.

Description: All capital punishment crimes are done by hanging, except adultery. Punishment for adultery is stoning. Pakistan has a high record of honour killings where families kill a member of their family for betraying and dishonoring them. The justice system enacted a law preventing anyone from executing people under 18 in 2000.

8. Syria:

Statistics: at least 17 executions in 2010

Crimes: Treason, murder, political acts against government, robbery, rape, murder, political opposition.

Description: Syria is opposed to the United Nation’s call to end capital punishment. They still perform public hangings and shootings of those convicted on capital punishment crimes.

9. Yemen:

Statistics: 80 people were executed in 2001

10 people were executed in 2002

7 people were shot dead in 2003

13 people were executed in 2007

53 people were executed in 2010

Crimes: Adultery, apostasy, drug trafficking, rape and murder

Description: The punishments are done publically by lashings and stoning. The country is also known to execute minors, including in 1993 of a 13 year old boy. They voted against the UN resolution to ban capital punishment in 2008.

10. Libya:

Statistics: at least 18 people were executed in 2010. This does not include those who died with military and government crackdown on protestors who protested against a cruel government.

Crimes: Treason, forcible change of government, planned murder

Description: Within recent years, Libya has had more executions than any other African country..

Article Written by Alex Noudelman