Death Penalty: 3,797 executed in 2004

[struggle4progress]

During 2004, more than 3,797 people were executed in 25 countries and at least 7,395 were sentenced to death in 64 countries, said Amnesty International today. <snip>

In 2004, Ryan Matthews became the 115th prisoner in the USA since 1973 to be released from death row on the grounds of innocence. He had been sentenced to death in Louisiana in 1999 for a murder committed when he was 17 years old. His death sentence was overturned in April 2004 after an appeal judge found that the prosecution had suppressed evidence at the trial, and on the basis of DNA evidence that pointed to another person as being the murderer.

While executions continued, the abolition of capital punishment advanced. Five countries abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 2004 - Bhutan, Greece, Samoa, Senegal and Turkey. At year end, 120 countries had abolished the death penalty in law or practice.

Several countries, while retaining the death penalty in law, observed moratoria on executions. A law on "the suspension of the application of the death penalty" was signed into force in July in Tajikistan, and in January this year President Aksar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan announced that a moratorium on executions, which had been in place since 1998, would be extended for another year. Other countries with moratoria on executions included Malawi and South Korea. <snip>

http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGACT500112005

[scarletlib]

1. well I am relieved that they weren't all executed in US

[legally blonde]

2. this number could be higher

China isn't exactly forthcoming with the number of people they execute.

[TahitiNut]

3. "the prosecution had suppressed evidence" ...

... leeading to the conviction of an innocent man! As long as there's a death penalty, this behavior warrants DEATH. It's beyond reprehensible, a violation of public trust and attempted murder under color of law enforcement.

[Alex146]

4. That number is bull shit

as some one pointed out China may not have reported all their excutions. That probably goes for many countries where excution is a standard government practice. And that includes the US Army. How many people have been excuted in Iraq? We don't know because no one is going to report a practice that isn't supposed to exist but I would be willing to bet that the number is high.

[UpInArms]

5. the death penalty is state sanctioned murder

in the name of the citizens.

Not In My Name.

How can you say that murder is wrong by committing murder?

[AuntiBush]

6. Way too many numbers.

[struggle4progress]

7. Why doncha like da numbas?

[Moderator]

8. kick to combine

[chlamor]

9. Death Penalty: 3,797 Executed in 2004

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE


AI Index: ACT 50/011/2005 (Public)
News Service No: 072
5 April 2005


Death Penalty: 3,797 executed in 2004

During 2004, more than 3,797 people were executed in 25 countries and at least 7,395 were sentenced to death in 64 countries, said Amnesty International today.

Releasing its annual worldwide statistics on the use of capital punishment, Amnesty International called on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, currently meeting in Geneva, to condemn the death penalty as a violation of fundamental human rights.

"The figures released today are sadly only the tip of the iceberg. The true picture is hard to uncover as many countries continue to execute people secretly -- contravening United Nations standards calling for disclosure of information on capital punishment," said Amnesty International.

A few countries accounted for the majority of executions carried out during 2004. China executed at least 3,400 people, but sources inside the country have estimated the number to be near 10,000.

Iran executed at least 159, and Viet Nam at least 64. There were 59 executions in the USA, down from 65 in 2003.

http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engact500112005


For a full copy of "The death penalty worldwide: developments in 2004", please see:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGACT500012005

For more information on Amnesty International's work against the death penalty, please see:
http://www.amnesty.org/deathpenalty