AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Media Briefing
AI Index: POL 30/004/2004 (Public)
News Service No: 009
21 January 2004
Embargo Date: 21 January 200410:00GMT
Execution of Child offenders: Facts and Figures
- Between 1990 and 2003 34 executions against child offenders have been carried out around the world. China (1), Democratic Republic of Congo (1), Iran (7), Nigeria (1), Pakistan (3), Saudi Arabia (1) Yemen (1) and the USA(19).
- Since 2000 there have been 14 executions: China (1), Democratic republic of Congo (1), Iran (2) Pakistan (1) and the USA (9).
- Child offenders are currently under sentence of death in at least two other countries: The Philippines and Sudan.
- Since the beginning of 1994 at least five countries have changes their laws to eliminate the execution of child offenders: Barbados, Yemen, Zimbabwe, China and Pakistan. The Democratic Republic of Congo has abolished the special military courts which led to the execution of a child offender in 2000.Iran is considering legislation to abolish the death penalty for child offenders.
- In the USA, 16 of the 38 states whose laws retain the death penalty exclude its use against child offenders as well as the federal government. Only three states: Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia -- have executed child offenders since 2000.
- 13 of the 22 executions of child offenders in the USA were carried out in Texas alone.
- Three more executions of child offenders are scheduled for the first half of 2004.
Further information:
Amnesty International web site on death penalty: http://www.amnesty.org/deathpenalty
Public Document
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Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org
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