According to the annual review released on Tuesday by Amnesty International, the year 2022 saw the highest number of judicial executions recorded globally since 2017.

The report highlights a disturbing rise in executions, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa region, where countries carried out killing sprees. The figures exclude the thousands believed to have been executed in China.

A staggering total of 883 people were known to have been executed across 20 countries, marking a significant 53% increase compared to 2021. The Middle East and North Africa accounted for a substantial rise, with recorded figures soaring from 520 in 2021 to 825 in 2022.

Amnesty International's Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, condemned the actions of countries in the region, stating that they displayed a callous disregard for human life. She cited Saudi Arabia's shocking execution of 81 individuals in a single day and Iran's execution of protesters as examples of the region's flagrant violation of international law.

Alarming statistics reveal that 90% of the world's known executions outside China were conducted by three countries in the Middle East. Iran recorded a staggering rise from 314 executions in 2021 to 576 in 2022. Saudi Arabia witnessed its figures triple from 65 to 196, marking the highest recorded by Amnesty in the past 30 years. Egypt executed 24 individuals during the same period.

The true global figure is likely higher due to the secrecy surrounding the use of the death penalty in countries such as China, North Korea, and Viet Nam. However, it is clear that China remained the world's most prolific executioner, followed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the USA.

The report also revealed that executions resumed in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Myanmar, the State of Palestine, and Singapore in 2022. Additionally, there was a notable increase in executions in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the USA. The number of people executed for drug-related offenses more than doubled compared to the previous year.

Amid this bleak scenario, there were glimmers of hope as six countries either fully or partially abolished the death penalty. Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, and the Central African Republic abolished it for all crimes, while Equatorial Guinea and Zambia abolished it for ordinary crimes only. As of December 2022, 112 countries had abolished the death penalty for all crimes, and nine countries had abolished it for ordinary crimes.

The positive momentum continued with legislative steps taken by Liberia and Ghana toward abolishing the death penalty. Sri Lanka and the Maldives also announced their intention not to implement death sentences. Bills to abolish the mandatory death penalty were tabled in the Malaysian Parliament.

Amnesty International calls on countries that still practice the death penalty to follow the lead of those abolishing it, emphasizing the need to protect human rights and promote justice. With a record number of UN member states calling for a moratorium on executions, the organization remains hopeful that the death penalty will eventually be consigned to history.

The tragic figures of 2022 serve as a reminder that efforts to abolish the death penalty must persist until it is eradicated worldwide.