Iran, Egypt lead Middle East in executions in 2020
Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia accounted for 88% of executions last year outside of world leader China, according to Amnesty International.
Four Middle Eastern states accounted for a large share of executions worldwide last year, according to a leading human rights organization.
London-based Amnesty International released its statistics Wednesday on executions for the year 2020. China remained the world’s top executioner. Aside from the People’s Republic, Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia accounted for 88% of the remaining executions in the world, according to a press release.
Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia were the second- through fifth-highest executioners in 2020, followed by the United States, according to Amnesty International's report.
There were at least 246 executions in Iran in 2020, including death sentences for protesters and members of minority groups, according to the report. One notable example was the December hanging of journalist Ruhollah Zam, who was convicted of the vague “corruption on earth” charge.
