Punishable by death

As countries drop the death penalty, executions are still on the rise.

The number of countries implementing capital punishment has steadily declined over the past decade, dropping to just 20 countries in 2011.

Yet as the world turns away from the death penalty, a select group of countries continue to execute at higher rates. State executions have gone up 78% since 2010, according to a report from Amnesty International.

The Middle East was a major contributor to the rise, increasing 50% in 2011 alone. The rise is mainly due to executions in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen, who combine for 99 percent of confirmed executions in the region.

On this episode of The Stream, we speak to Eric Goldstein, Human Rights Watch Deputy Director, Middle East and North Africa Division; and Nadia Bernaz (@HRightsBusiness), Senior Lecturer in Law at Middlesex University.

Source: Aljazeera, May 21, 2012