Amnesty International released a report Monday stating that the number of executions globally hit its highest number since 1981. The group condemned use of the death penalty to create a climate of fear, under the pretext of national security and public safety.
In the report, Death Sentences and Executions 2025, the group estimated that there were at least 2,707 executions worldwide in 2025, marking a 78 percent increase from 2024. The highest number of executions came from China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the US, with figures for North Korea and Vietnam remaining unknown.
Iran is the primary contributor to the significant increase. Since late 2025, several UN officials have warned of surging executions for drug-related offenses, with Amnesty International attributing these executions to “grossly unfair trials.” The report highlighted the impact of the country’s national security law, echoing the warning of UN human rights chief Volker Türk’s warning in July 2025 regarding a proposed espionage bill. This number does not however account for executions following Iran’s reportedly “brutal” crackdown on nationwide protests in December 2025, calling for human rights reform. The crackdown included internet blackouts, disproportionate violence and extrajudicial killings.
The increasing use of death penalties as a punitive measure for drug-related offenses is not limited to Iran, according to the report. Nearly half of executions were a result of drug offense convictions. Countries such as China, Singapore and Saudi Arabia have harsh laws against drug-related offenses. For instance, the death penalty is statutorily mandatory for the conviction of unauthorized import of more than 500 grams of cannabis in Singapore.
International human rights law strictly limits the use of capital punishment to the “most serious crime.” Several rights groups have urged countries to halt executions in drug-related offenses, such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in June 2025.
The group contended that the increasing trend indicated that “countries resorting to executions under the pretext of public safety and security as a show of power.” Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, added:
A shameless minority are weaponizing the death penalty to instil fear, crush dissent and punish marginalized communities. It’s time for executing countries to step into line with the rest of the world and leave this abhorrent practice in the past.
A total of 145 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice as of the end of 2025. Among the 17 countries or regions which still carry out executions, Japan, South Sudan, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates resumed the practice after a pause.
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