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                 Iran, Iraq Drive Spike in Executions Worldwide

   by Henry Ridgwell

   The human rights group Amnesty International says there was a spike in
   the number of death penalties carried out worldwide in 2013.  The group
   says China topped the list, followed by Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and
   the United States.
   A sharp rise in the number of executions in Iraq and Iran contributed
   to an unexpected spike in death penalties carried out worldwide in
   2013, says Amnesty International's Audrey Gaughran.
   "We've reported on 369 executions carried out in Iran last year, which
   is deeply troubling. And a number of people have commented on the scale
   of executions in Iran. But we also believe that more executions may
   have taken place," said Gaughran.
   Amnesty reported 169 executions in Iraq.
   Somalia also contributed to the spike, with 34 recorded executions.
   "Many of the executions that we recorded this year were in the
   autonomous region of Puntland. I would have to stress that the
   executions that we've recorded in Somalia as a whole are likely to be
   under-recorded," said Gaughran.
   Amnesty says it believes that China tops the list of numbers of
   prisoners executed every year - with estimates in the thousands.
   Earlier this month Zang Tiewei, a member of China's top legislative
   body, said Beijing was considering reducing the number of crimes
   subject to the death penalty.
   He said an amendment to the Criminal Law is included in the annual
   legislative agenda, and they are considering reducing the number of
   capital crimes step by step.
   But China still keeps its policies on capital punishment highly
   secretive, says Audrey Gaughran.
   "Until the Chinese authorities start publishing death sentences and
   executions and making these public, it won't be possible to confirm
   whether their claims that they're reducing the use of the death penalty
   are in fact true," she said.
   The United States was fifth on the list with 39 executions in 2013 -
   one place behind Saudi Arabia's 79.
   Pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. have begun refusing to supply the
   drugs needed for lethal injections - forcing state authorities to turn
   to more loosely regulated companies known as compounding pharmacies.
   Several death row inmates have launched court cases against their
   sentences, arguing that the use of less regulated pharmaceuticals could
   cause significant pain and is inhumane.
   Last month, Michael Taylor - convicted of raping and killing a teenager
   in 1989 - lost his court case and was executed in Missouri.
   Amnesty says a total of 22 countries worldwide carried out the death
   penalty in 2013, one less than in 2012.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/iran-iraq-drive-spike-in-executions-w
   orldwide-/1880141.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/iran-iraq-drive-spike-in-executions-worldwide-/1880141.html