Amnesty International reports record 2,707 executions globally in 2025

Amnesty International has released its latest global report on capital punishment, identifying 2025 as a significant year for the use of the death penalty. The organisation recorded at least 2,707 executions across 17 countries, a figure described as the highest documented in recent years.

The data highlights a continued global reliance on state-sanctioned killing, despite long-standing international efforts to abolish the practice. The report notes that the scale of these executions represents a notable increase in the frequency of capital punishment worldwide.

Chiara Sangiorgio, Amnesty International’s death penalty specialist, provided analysis on the political drivers behind this trend. She characterised the contemporary resurgence of executions as being “rooted in fear” and increasingly deployed as a mechanism to suppress opposition.

According to Sangiorgio, the death penalty is being utilised by governments as a tool of control to crush dissent. This perspective frames the rise in executions not merely as a judicial outcome, but as a strategic instrument of governance aimed at maintaining authority through intimidation.

The report does not specify which of the 17 countries recorded these figures, nor does it detail the methodology used to verify the 2,707 count. However, the organisation’s assessment underscores a shift in how capital punishment is applied, linking it directly to broader patterns of political repression and the restriction of civil liberties.

Amnesty International continues to monitor these trends as part of its broader mandate to protect human rights. The findings suggest that for many regimes, the death penalty remains a preferred method for addressing perceived threats to state stability, reinforcing the organisation’s warnings about the weaponisation of judicial processes.