Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Recorded executions in 2022 have reached the highest level in five years as the Middle East and North Africa’s most notorious executioners carried out killing sprees, states Amnesty International’s annual review of the death penalty.
A total of 883 people were known to have been executed across 20 countries, marking a 53% increase from 2021. These numbers exclude the thousands of executions believed to have taken place in China last year, according to the report.
“Countries in the Middle East and North Africa region violated international law as they ramped up executions in 2022, revealing a callous disregard for human life. The number of individuals deprived of their lives rose dramatically across the region; Saudi Arabia executed a staggering 81 people in a single day. Most recently, in a desperate attempt to end the popular uprising, Iran executed people simply for exercising their right to protest,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
Alarmingly, three countries in the region accounted for 90% of known executions outside China. While Iran witnessed a significant surge from 314 recorded executions in 2021 to 576 in 2022, Saudi Arabia recorded the highest number of executions in 30 years, with figures tripling from 65 in 2021 to 196 in 2022. Egypt executed 24 individuals during the same period, according to the report.
The true global figure remains unknown due to the secrecy surrounding the use of the death penalty in several countries such as China, North Korea, and Vietnam, where its extensive use is well-known. However, it is evident that China retained its position as the world’s most prolific executioner, surpassing Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the USA, the report states.
Amnesty International recorded 883 executions in 20 countries in 2022, marking a 53% increase from 579 recorded in 2021. This figure represents the highest number of executions that Amnesty International has recorded in the past five years (since 2017, when 993 executions were recorded), according to the report.
Most Executions:
1. China – 1000s
2. Iran – at least 576
3. Saudi Arabia – 196
4. Egypt – 24
5. US – 18
Source: Amnesty International
