Iran May Lead the World in Executions

The recent Amnesty International report on capital punishment points out that the majority of the world’s executions take place in China.  However, per capita, the dubious distinction may belong to Iran. Human Rights groups have estimated that as many as 5,000 people were executed in China in 2008.  (The actual numbers are a state secret.)  Although, Iran killed fewer than this in 2009, per capita it holds its own.  The Chinese would need to have executed well over 7,000 people last year to match the Iranian regime, per capita.   Additionally, as Amnesty International notes, “Iran does not release official statistics on executions, and the true figure is likely to be higher.”