Amnesty International: 2024 sees highest number of executions in a decade

The year 2024 has recorded the highest number of documented executions worldwide in the last decade, according to a report by the human rights organization Amnesty International.

Last year, 1,518 people were executed, compared to 1,634 in 2015. The majority of executions (91%) were carried out in Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Of the total number of executions, 40% were sentenced for drug-related offenses.

The report states that the figures do not include “thousands of people” who have been executed in China, North Korea, and Vietnam. Amnesty has also been unable to obtain reliable data on executions in Palestine and Syria due to ongoing conflicts in those regions.

In the previous year, 1,380 people were executed in Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The number of executions in Iraq has increased nearly fourfold, while in Saudi Arabia, it has doubled. In Iran, 119 more people were executed than the previous year. However, the organization states that executions were carried out in only 15 countries in 2024, marking a record low for the second consecutive year.