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Global death penalty rates rise amid human rights concerns
On World Day Against the Death Penalty, human rights organizations have highlighted a significant rise in global capital punishment. Amnesty International reported that executions in 2025 reached 2,707 across 17 countries, marking a 78% increase from the previous year. A substantial portion of these, approximately 46%, were for drug-related offenses.
In Iran, reports from the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran indicate a high rate of executions targeting women. Between October 2025 and October 2026, at least 54 women were executed, with at least 28 occurring since the start of 2026. These figures are noted as minimums due to potential censorship and communication blackouts.
In Bahrain, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights is calling for a moratorium on executions and the abolition of the death penalty. The organization noted that 27 people currently face death sentences, and expressed concerns regarding the use of coerced confessions and torture in capital cases. The last recorded executions in Bahrain took place in 2019.
Entities
Amnesty International · Bahrain · Bahrain Center for Human Rights · Iran · Prisoners Abroad
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [DISPUTED] At least 28 women have been executed in Iran since the start of 2026. feminismandreligion.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The last known executions in Bahrain occurred in 2019. bahrainrights.net
- [DISPUTED] At least 54 women were executed in Iran between October 2025 and October 2026. feminismandreligion.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] There are currently 27 people under sentence of death in Bahrain. bahrainrights.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 46% of all known executions in 2025 were for drug-related offenses. www.prisonersabroad.org.uk
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Amnesty International reported that 2,707 executions occurred across 17 countries in 2025, a 78% increase from 2024. www.prisonersabroad.org.uk