Amnesty International: Global executions in 2025 reach highest level in four decades

The number of executions worldwide rose sharply in 2025, reaching its highest level since 1981, according to the annual report published by Amnesty International and cited by Ouest-France. The organization documented at least 2,707 executions, but warns that the real toll is higher because it does not include data from China, where thousands of executions are believed to have taken place. The 78% increase compared to 2024 marks one of the steepest developments in recent decades and brings back the global discussion about the use of the death penalty as a political and security tool.

• Iran, the epicenter of global growth

According to the report, Iran concentrates approximately 80% of the documented executions worldwide, with some 2,159 cases, almost double the previous year. Amnesty International claims that the Iranian authorities have intensified their use of the death penalty as an "instrument of repression and political control”, especially after the escalation of regional tensions and the 12-day conflict with Israel and the United States. The organization notes that the dynamics of executions accelerated in the second half of the year: if before the summer there were 654 executions, between July and December the number increased to 1,505. Another important element highlighted in the report is the share of drug-related crimes: almost 998 executions in Iran were carried out for violations of narcotics laws, which represents almost half of the national total.

• Political context and accusations of repression

The Amnesty report suggests that the death penalty is used not only for criminal purposes, but also as a mechanism of social control. The organization indicates that the wave of executions followed both domestic protests in Iran and regional tensions, including conflicts in the Middle East. In parallel, the United Nations reported that at least 21 people have been executed in Iran since the end of February on political or national security grounds.

• Global distribution of executions

After Iran, other countries with a significant number of executions in 2025 are: Saudi Arabia - 356 executions, Yemen - at least 51, the United States - 47, Egypt - 23

Somalia, Singapore and Kuwait - 17 executions each. In total, executions were reported in 17 countries, confirming the concentrated nature of the phenomenon at a global level, with a small number of countries responsible for the majority of cases.

• Amnesty International's reaction

The organization's Secretary-General, Agnès Callamard, condemned the use of the death penalty, stating that some countries use it to induce fear and limit fundamental freedoms. She stressed that executions are disproportionately carried out against vulnerable groups and marginalized populations, highlighting the political nature of the phenomenon in some states. Amnesty International's 2025 report indicates a significant resurgence in the use of the death penalty globally, led by the situation in Iran and the lack of transparency in other major states such as China. The overall trend suggests a growing concentration of executions in states where capital punishment is used as both a legal and political tool.