LONDON –  The number of known executions worldwide went up by more than 50 percent last year to at least 1,634, the highest figure recorded since 1989, Amnesty International said Wednesday.
The London-based human rights organization in its annual report on death sentences and executions worldwide said Iran executed at least 977 people which is at odds with opening up to the West after striking a deal with world powers last year on its nuclear ambitions.
“Western countries are starting to build commercial ties and trade missions,” said James Lynch, Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa deputy director.
“However, human rights has been absolutely left in the margins,” he told AFP.
The 1,634 figure does not include China, which is thought to have killed thousands of its own citizens.
“The rise in executions last year is profoundly disturbing,” said Amnesty secretary general Salil Shetty.
“Thankfully, countries that execute belong to a small and increasingly isolated minority.”
For the first time ever, the majority of the world’s countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes.
Fiji, Madagascar, Republic of Congo and Suriname fully abolished the death penalty in 2015, taking the total number of countries to do so to 102.
Amnesty said its reports indicted that four people in Iran were executed for crimes committed when they were aged under 18.

Source: AFP, April 6