In 2015 has brought a record number of death sentences in 25 years
The report of the international human rights organization Amnesty International argued that the year of 2015 was executed greatest in the past 25 years the number of death sentences — more than 1,600. This is the highest rate since 1989. Here are the leaders of Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. This “big three” accounted for almost 90 percent of executions. The authors of the report emphasize that they do not have data for China, where such statistics are state secrets, but they believe that a true leader — it is celestial. The particularities and nuances of death sentences and execution in different countries understood “Tape.ru”.
In Iran, according to human rights activists, for the year 2015 were executed by 977 people. According to Iranian authorities, the majority of prisoners were somehow connected with drug trafficking. However, the list of crimes for which the Islamic Republic can be a life threat is much wider. It’s murder, rape, armed robbery, heresy, blasphemy, sodomy, prostitution, adultery, betrayal, and espionage, the spread of pornography.
The primary method of carrying out the death sentence by hanging. Until recently, practiced public executions. As the gallows was used cranes. Prisoners with the noose around his neck just raised up in the air by the crane winch. However, for crimes of a sexual nature, such as adultery, the perpetrators, as a rule, were executed by stoning. And sentenced women were buried in the ground on the chest, men — belt. The relevant article of the Islamic penal code of Iran stipulates: “In the punishment of stoning to death, the stones should not be too large, so that the condemned did not die from one or two strikes; nor should they be so small that they cannot be called stones.”
This form of execution, the authorities has twice imposed a moratorium. For the first time in 2002. However, the courts still sentenced that requires such penalty. Re the moratorium imposed in 2008. the authorities of the Islamic Republic insist that since 2002 stoning is not practiced. Among those executed in Iran in 2015, according to Amnesty International, there were four teenagers. The laws of the country really allow the juvenile death penalty. The age of criminal responsibility depends on the floor. For girls is 9 years and for boys 15. Upon reaching this age, minor citizens of the Islamic Republic can be sentenced to any punishment up to the highest measure.
Photo: Sipa / East News
In Pakistan last year, death sentences were executed against more than 320 prisoners. With this indicator, Pakistan first came in the top five States with the highest number of executions. From 2008 to 2014 in the country had a moratorium on the death penalty. In 2012 they executed the soldier, but he endured the sentence of a military Tribunal and not civil court. The formal reason for lifting the moratorium was the terrorist attack in Peshawar in December 2014, when extremists attacked a military school.
A terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar
Photo: Mohammad Sajjad / AP
Killing more than 140 people, mostly children and teenagers. “Nothing can be more tragic for Pakistan than the way terrorists riddled with bullets, innocent children,” said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. And announced that approved the decision to terminate the moratorium on the death penalty. A few days later in a prison hung Russian Ahlas Flaka, which had the nationality of Pakistan. In year 2005 he was sentenced by the Pakistani military court to death on charges of terrorist activity, namely, of involvement in the assassination attempt on former President Pervez Musharraf.
At the time of cancellation of the moratorium in Pakistan accumulated more than 8,000 death sentences. All sentenced were hanged (and it is only allowed in the country, the method of execution is sentenced) is unknown.
A large number of death sentences imposed in Pakistan for blasphemy. This concept is interpreted here very broadly, which leads to trial and error, and frankly casuistic precedent. Once arrested 17-year-old student that he was admitted to the essay on the literature of blasphemy. What, the teachers refused to speak — because then they themselves would be accused of blasphemy. Since the introduction of the law On “blasphemy” in 1986 for this article were executed at least 4000 people. Often this law is used to denunciations to settle scores with neighbors, competitors. Not to mention the Gentiles.
Closes the top three ranking plagues Saudi Arabia. In 2015, there was executed 158 people, an increase compared to 2014 is 76 per cent. In the Kingdom, as in Iran, the Sharia rules, and a set of crimes punishable by death, is almost the same. The main way that the sentence is execution in Saudi Arabia — beheading. Possible shooting, used mostly to women. Penalty, as a rule, public. The country has developed a whole dynasty of executioners, and the main post of executioner of Mecca submits personally to the king.
By the way, members of the ruling family have often been sentenced to death. In 1975, the nephew of king Faisal Ibn Saud al Musaid made an attempt on his uncle. The monarch was mortally wounded and later died. Before the death of king Faisal Ibn Abdul Aziz asked confidants not to execute his nephew. However, his will not fulfilled. Faisal, Ibn al Saud Musaid beheaded gilded sword blow, and then his head on a wooden coke for 15 minutes put on display for the crowd. In 1977, was executed by a 19-year-old Mishaal bint Fahd al Saud, one of the princesses, the niece of the then king Khalid. She was accused of adultery and executed. The actions of the executioner, as eyewitnesses claimed, had personally supervised the grandfather is the older brother of the monarch. The execution of the Princess was held simultaneously with beheading her alleged lover is the son of the Ambassador of the Kingdom in Lebanon. It took five blows with a sword to cut off the unfortunate head. Probably, the sentence was executed not a professional executioner, and someone from the family.
Another high-profile execution in Saudi Arabia happened recently and caused a full-scale international crisis. January 2 this year was the execution of a death sentence against Shiite preacher Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. The Saudi authorities have accused him of “inciting hatred and undermining national unity.” He was charged with incitement to riot and “out of the obedience of the rulers”. Politicians and spiritual leaders of the Shiites condemned the execution.
Protests after the execution of Nira Sheikh an-Nimr
Photo: Karim Kadim / AP
The head and spiritual leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei stated: “the Execution of the Martyr Sheikh Nimr — political mistake of the leadership of Saudi Arabia. Unjustly shed blood of the theologian, will lead to the fact that the leadership of Saudi Arabia will suffer retribution.” In Saudi Arabia, and in Bahrain, Lebanon and Iran were demonstrations of Shiites. The Saudi Embassy in Tehran keep leaving angry mob with Molotov cocktails and stormed. January 4, Saudi Arabia is dominated by Sunni Islam, broke off diplomatic relations with Iran. After the rupture of relations with Tehran and announced other predominantly Sunni countries — Bahrain, Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia. The United Arab Emirates recalled its Ambassador, lowering the level of diplomatic relations to charge d’affaires.
China, according to human rights activists, and shadow leader in the number of executions. In the report Amnesty International States that in 2015 there were pronounced thousands of death sentences and thousands of executions. There are some indications that the number of executions in China has decreased in recent years, but because of the secrecy surrounding capital punishment, it is impossible to double-check. In China death penalty can be applied for offences referred to in articles 69 of the Penal code. Besides the obvious of serious crimes and corruption, pimping, counterfeiting, manufacture and sale of counterfeit drugs, theft and possession of explosives or weapons and much more.
Sentenced to death for the murder of eight children of Zheng Minsheng
Photo: China Daily / Reuters
In China usually were shot. But according to the latest data, the country went the way of humanization of punishments is now increasingly used lethal injection. In addition, contrary to popular belief, in China don’t practice public executions. There are still few signs of easing. For example, frequent death sentences suspended for two years. In fact, this means that the shooting most likely will be replaced by life sentence or long imprisonment.
At the end of 2014, received confirmation of the long-circulating rumors that the widespread practice of taking organs from executed for transplantation follow-up. Then the head of the Chinese Committee of organ donation and organ transplantation Juan czepu reported that from 1 January 2015 in China will not be allowed to withdraw for transplant organs from executed. According to the Deputy Director of the Committee on the issues of organ donation and organ transplantation Zhao Honto, which he published in 2011 in the medical journal Lancet, in China at the time in 65 percent of cases was used to transplant the organs of deceased donors. 90 percent of executed prisoners.
According to the world coalition against the death penalty, every year in China executed more than two thousand convicted persons (latest data provided on the organization’s website in 2014, approximately 2400 people). If to take into account the population of China, this evaluation does not seems fantastic.
According to Amnesty International, last year in the world has increased the number of countries that abolished the death penalty at the legislative level. However, there are States where returned to the use of capital punishment.
