Amnesty International Releases Report on Executions and Death Sentences Around the World

Last week, Amnesty International released its report on death sentences and executions for 2011.  The report finds that China executed the most people, with reported executions numbered in the thousands (the true number of executions is unknown in China, due to the fact that the government does not publicize the exact figures).  Next was Iran, which executed over 360 men and women, followed by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the United States, with 82, 68 and 42 executions respectively. The report finds that the number of countries that imposed death sentences and carried out executions dropped marginally from 2010 to 2011.  Amnesty International also notes that the United States remains the only G8 country to utilize executions, and that 20 nations continue to partake in judicial killings.