The death penalty in the world in 2022 and penalties for drug trafficking

According to the Amnesty International report, at least 883 executions were carried out worldwide in 2022, the highest number in five years. Many executions, including those of political prisoners, were carried out in Iran (at least 576 people executed) and Saudi Arabia. Together with Egypt, these countries carried out 90% of the world’s executions. In total, the death penalty was applied by the authorities of 20 countries. The statistics do not include the estimated thousands of executions in China, Vietnam and North Korea. Last year Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic abolished capital punishment, Equatorial Guinea and Zambia did it partially, and Liberia and Ghana are removing it from their penal code.

According to an Amnesty report, more than a third of all recorded executions were related to drug trafficking. Singapore has just carried out its second execution in three weeks for selling marijuana. In this city-state, dealing with over 500 g of marijuana means a possible capital punishment. In 2022, 11 people were sentenced there to death for drug offences. During that time, Indonesia carried out 112 drug-related executions. Neighbouring Thailand has legalised cannabis, and Malaysia intends to decriminalise the possession and use of small amounts of drugs as part of a reform to reduce the number of prisoners and the death penalty for drug offences. Minor offenders will be sent to social rehabilitation centres under the Malaysian anti-drug agency Agensi Anti Dadah Kebangsaan (AADK).