Amnesty International reports China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the United States remain amongst the world’s most frequent executioners. Amnesty says China is believed to have executed thousands of people last year. Iran executed 252 people; North Korea, 60; Yemen, 53; and the United States, 46. Setting aside China, the total number of executions officially recorded by Amnesty International in 2010 was 527, down from at least 714 people in 2009.

Roseann Rife, Amnesty International: “We absolutely believe that it is an unmistakable trend towards abolition. That is the goal, the United Nations has come out and said that that is the goal, and many, many countries are adopting it. I think it’s just a matter of time, and increasingly the countries who haven’t abolished the death penalty are going to stand out as obstructionist towards that goal.”