A new report from Amnesty International has revealed that 883 people were executed in 2022 across 20 countries, with most executions taking place in the Middle East and North Africa. This marks the highest number of executions in five years and is a 53% increase from 2021, with China not included in the figures released. Amnesty International’s secretary general, Agnes Callamard, labelled the governments responsible for the rise in executions in the region as “violating international law” and for demonstrating a “callous disregard for human life.” She added that “most recently, in a desperate attempt to end the popular uprising, Iran executed people simply for exercising their right to protest.”
Almost 90% of executions recorded outside China were carried out by three countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. In 2022, there were 576 executions in Iran, up from 314 in 2021; Saudi Arabia increased from 65 executions in 2021 to 196 in 2022; and Egypt executed 24 individuals. The majority of executions were carried out for drug-related offences, with over 37% of all recorded executions globally being for drug-related crimes. The report states that drug-related executions violate international human rights law that states executions should only be carried out for the “most serious crimes.”
Experts have previously called on Saudi Arabia to immediately halt executions for drug offences. In 2018, a Juvenile Law was introduced, which eliminated the death penalty for minors. However, exceptions to the law were later carved out, which made it clear that the Juvenile Law as a whole does not apply in certain circumstances. In April 2020, Saudi Arabia introduced a royal decree allowing for the law’s provisions to be applied retrospectively. Despite this, the death penalty has still been imposed in a number of cases involving minors. Earlier this month, the family of Abdullah al-Darazi pleaded with the US to intervene on his behalf following his arrest in 2014 for participating in protests in Saudi Arabia’s al-Qatif governorate. Darazi and another man were allegedly tortured, subjected to solitary confinement, forced to sign confessions, held incommunicado, and denied proper access to legal counsel. Darazi now faces the death penalty.
This new report from Amnesty International is a concerning indication that governments continue to violate human rights and impose the death penalty in an increasingly arbitrary and discriminatory manner. The failure of the international community to hold such countries accountable for their actions contributes to the perpetuation of human rights abuses. It is essential that governments worldwide move towards eliminating the death penalty and uphold their obligations under international human rights law.
