Amnesty International: China and Iran Have the Highest Execution Rates in the World

On Tuesday, April 1, Amnesty International reported that 743 people were executed in Iran in 2014. According to the organization's report, Iran had the second-highest number of executions in the world after China last year. The organization stated that the number of executions officially announced by judicial authorities was 289, while an additional 454 executions were carried out without official acknowledgment. The report noted that 14 of those executed were under 18 years old at the time of their crime. Amnesty International had previously reported that the number of executions in Iran in 2013 was officially 369, but could be as high as 700 when including unreported executions. Meanwhile, Ahmad Shahid, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, reported on March 12 that the Islamic Republic executed 753 people last year, half of whom were for drug-related offenses. This number is unprecedented since 2002. According to Amnesty International, China remains the country with the highest number of executions globally, although the exact figures are classified. It is estimated that thousands were executed in China in 2014. Following China and Iran, Saudi Arabia had at least 90 executions, Iraq at least 61, and the United States with 35 executions in 2014. In 2013, Iraq had 169 executions, Saudi Arabia 79, and the US 39. Amnesty International's previous reports indicated that Saudi Arabia executed 79 people in 2012 and 2013, and 82 in 2010 and 2011. According to the Associated Press, Saudi Arabia executed 83 individuals by beheading in 2014, setting a new record for this method in five years, most of whom were accused of drug-related crimes. The report from Amnesty International indicated that excluding China, 607 people were executed last year, which is 171 fewer than in 2013. Previous reports indicated that 778 people were executed worldwide in 2013, which was also 96 fewer than in 2012. Despite the global decline in the number of executions, Amnesty International noted a 28% increase in death sentences issued in 2014, reaching 2,466.