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The UN Human Rights Office raised alarm on Monday of a “sharp hike” in the number of executions globally in 2025.
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, explained the office’s key concerns, stating:
Türk stressed how the death penalty does not function as an effective crime prevention tool and can kill innocent individuals. Further, he highlighted the serious implications for marginalized groups. “In practice, the death penalty is also often applied arbitrarily and discriminatorily, in violation of fundamental principles of equality before the law,” Türk said.
The report addressed the conduct of several countries, including Iran. The UN estimated that at least 1,500 individuals were executed in Iran in 2025–at least 47 percent for drug offenses. Türk said this figure suggests a “systemic use of capital punishment as a tool of State intimidation.” Iran Human Rights Monitor reported similar concerns in December and said that “political death sentences” have especially targeted ethnic minorities, including Kurds and the Baloch.
Saudi Arabia also had a high figure, with at least 356 executions–78 percent drug-related offenses. At least two of those executed were killed for offenses committed as children, which raises concerns for children’s rights in international law.
Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, recently described recent trends as a “record surge” in executions and called for an international response. “Governments should immediately press Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s authorities to halt all executions,” she said.
In Israel, recent proposals call for mandatory death penalties solely for Palestinians under certain circumstances. Türk reported on this issue separately in early January, focusing on the discriminatory nature of these proposals and the violation of international humanitarian law.
Forty-seven executions occurred in the US–the highest number in 16 years. Experts have continued to express concerns about “torture or cruel punishment” implications of the expanding use of gas asphyxiation, first introduced in 2024.
Türk also discussed Afghanistan, Somalia, Singapore, China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Belarus.
The report also noted some “encouraging steps” taken last year. For example, the Constitutional Court in Kyrgyzstan upheld the death penalty prohibition by ruling that an attempt to reintroduce it was unconstitutional. Temur Shakirow, director of the International Court of Justice Europe and Central Asia Programme, praised the measure, saying:
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Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, explained the office’s key concerns, stating:
The increase primarily came from executions for drug-related offenses occurring in a small number of retentionist states. These are countries that advocate for the use of capital punishment as opposed to abolitionist states. who do not use or support the death penalty.
Türk stressed how the death penalty does not function as an effective crime prevention tool and can kill innocent individuals. Further, he highlighted the serious implications for marginalized groups. “In practice, the death penalty is also often applied arbitrarily and discriminatorily, in violation of fundamental principles of equality before the law,” Türk said.
The report addressed the conduct of several countries, including Iran. The UN estimated that at least 1,500 individuals were executed in Iran in 2025–at least 47 percent for drug offenses. Türk said this figure suggests a “systemic use of capital punishment as a tool of State intimidation.” Iran Human Rights Monitor reported similar concerns in December and said that “political death sentences” have especially targeted ethnic minorities, including Kurds and the Baloch.
Saudi Arabia also had a high figure, with at least 356 executions–78 percent drug-related offenses. At least two of those executed were killed for offenses committed as children, which raises concerns for children’s rights in international law.
Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, recently described recent trends as a “record surge” in executions and called for an international response. “Governments should immediately press Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s authorities to halt all executions,” she said.
In Israel, recent proposals call for mandatory death penalties solely for Palestinians under certain circumstances. Türk reported on this issue separately in early January, focusing on the discriminatory nature of these proposals and the violation of international humanitarian law.
Forty-seven executions occurred in the US–the highest number in 16 years. Experts have continued to express concerns about “torture or cruel punishment” implications of the expanding use of gas asphyxiation, first introduced in 2024.
Türk also discussed Afghanistan, Somalia, Singapore, China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Belarus.
The report also noted some “encouraging steps” taken last year. For example, the Constitutional Court in Kyrgyzstan upheld the death penalty prohibition by ruling that an attempt to reintroduce it was unconstitutional. Temur Shakirow, director of the International Court of Justice Europe and Central Asia Programme, praised the measure, saying:
Türk calls on all retentionist states to cease executions, downgrade all current death sentences, and begin to take steps towards abolition.
The post UN condemns ‘alarming’ global execution increase appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.