More executions despite move away from death penalty

EVEN though more countries are renouncing the death penalty, more people were put to death last year (5,628) than in either of the previous two years, it was reported in Italy yesterday.

Anti-death penalty group Hands Off Cain said the increase was because more countries with capital punishment on their books actually resorted to it in 2006. China alone accounted for 5,000 executions.

In its annual report on the death penalty, the group said the gradual trend of abolishing capital punishment continued, with 51 countries retaining the death penalty, compared with 54 in 2005. However, it said 27 countries had used the death penalty in 2006, up from 24 in 2005. As a result, the number of executions increased, to at least 5,628 last year compared with 5,494 in 2005 and 5,530 in 2004.