More than 680 people were executed in 2012 across the world: Amnesty International

10.04.2013, 15:10

Human rights group Amnesty International today announced that 682 people were executed in various countries of the world in 2012. In spite of growth in executions in some countries, a global tendency of gradual decrease in capital punishment is visible, the rights’ group said in its annual report. According to their data the number of countries, which have excluded capital punishment from their legislation, has risen to 97. Last year, highest number of executions were carried out in China, followed by Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, USA and Yemen.Amnesty International has again called for totally abolishing capital punishment in the world. The rights group believes that often the capital punishment is used not to curb crimes, but as a ‘populist measure and a tool of oppression’. More Source: Voice of Russia.