Executions down across globe, says Amnesty International

The number of people executed by their own governments fell by 25 per cent last year, with China carrying out the most executions, Amnesty International said Friday.

The human rights organization report — the Annual Death Penalty Statistics — outlines the number of executions and death sentences carried out in the world in 2006.

According to the report, at least 1,591 people were known to be executed by their own governments in 25 countries last year.

Of those executions, 90 per cent took place in six countries:

China - 1,010
Iran - 177
Pakistan - 82
Iraq - 65
Sudan - 65
U.S.A. - 53

Amnesty International believes the Chinese figures are drastically underestimated, suggesting the real total is close to 8,000 executions, based on information from a Chinese legal expert. China keeps its prisoner executions a state secret.

That is SOME company we keep.