This report covers the judicial use of the death penalty from January to December 2023. As in previous years, information is collected from a variety of sources, including: official figures; judgments; information from individuals sentenced to death and their families and representatives; media reports; and, as specified, other civil society organizations.
Amnesty International reports only on executions, death sentences and other aspects of the use of the death penalty, such as commutations and exonerations, where there is reasonable confirmation. In many countries, governments do not publish information on their use of the death penalty. In China and Vietnam, data on the use of the death penalty is classified as a state secret. During 2023, little or no information was available on some countries – in particular Belarus and North Korea – due to restrictive state practice. Therefore, for a significant number of countries, Amnesty International’s figures on the use of the death penalty are the minimum recorded. The true overall figures are likely to be higher.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. The organization campaigns for total abolition of the death penalty.
Where Amnesty International receives and is able to verify new information after publication of this report, it updates its figures online at amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty.