Executions at highest level since 2015, Amnesty International says

But Amnesty International also says only 15 countries carried out the death penalty, the lowest on record

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More than 1,500 recorded executions took place in 2024 with Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia accounting for a combined 1,380 and the United States for 25, the charity found.

Despite this rise, the report also found that the total number of countries carrying out the death penalty stood at 15 - the lowest number on record for the second consecutive year.

Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnes Callamard said the "tide is turning" on capital punishment, adding that "it is only a matter of time until the world is free from the shadow of the gallows".

While these figures are the highest they have been since 2015 - when at least 1,634 people were subject to the death penalty - the true overall figure is likely to be higher.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3r8n3yx1x5o

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