# Global death penalty trends and human rights concerns

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/global-death-penalty-trends-and-human-rights-concerns
> Updated: 2026-10-09T23:26:46.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2.

International organizations and human rights groups have raised alarms regarding a significant increase in global executions. On the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, the European Union and the Council of Europe issued a joint call for an immediate moratorium on executions as a first step toward global abolition, describing the practice as ‘inhumane and degrading treatment.’

Data indicates a sharp rise in recorded executions; Amnesty International reported that executions in 2025 reached 2,707 across 17 countries, marking a 78 percent increase compared to 2024. Iran recorded the highest number of executions, with notable increases also reported in Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Yemen. In the United States, executions continued, while China is estimated to have carried out thousands of death sentences, though its data remains a state secret. Within Europe, Belarus is the only remaining country to apply the death penalty.

Specific concerns persist regarding the use of the death penalty for drug-related offenses, which accounted for approximately 46 percent of executions in 2025. In Iran, reports from the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran highlight a high rate of executions targeting women, noting at least 54 women were executed between October 2025 and October 2026. Additionally, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights is calling for a moratorium, citing concerns over coerced confessions and torture in capital cases involving the 27 people currently facing death sentences. The last recorded executions in Bahrain occurred in 2019.

## Claims

- At least 28 women have been executed in Iran since the start of 2026. (disputed)
- At least 54 women were executed in Iran between October 2025 and October 2026. (disputed)
- Amnesty International reported that 2,707 executions occurred across 17 countries in 2025, a 78% increase from 2024. (single source)
- Approximately 46% of all known executions in 2025 were for drug-related offenses. (single source)
- There are currently 27 people under sentence of death in Bahrain. (single source)
- The last known executions in Bahrain occurred in 2019. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-09: Global death penalty rates rise amid human rights concerns

On World Day Against the Death Penalty, reports show a global rise in executions, with Amnesty International noting a 78% increase in 2025 and significant execution rates for women in Iran.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/global-death-penalty-rates-rise-amid-human-rights-concerns

### 2026-10-09: EU and Council of Europe call for moratorium on executions

The EU and Council of Europe are calling for a global moratorium on the death penalty following a 78 percent increase in recorded executions, particularly in Iran, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/eu-and-council-of-europe-call-for-global-abolition-of-death-penalty

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Cite as: Global death penalty trends and human rights concerns. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/global-death-penalty-trends-and-human-rights-concerns