1. Saudi Arabia
In Amnesty International report, Saudi Arabia once again ranks among the top five executioners in the world. At least 990 people were executed in the kingdom in 2014. So far this year, the authorities are well on track to surpass last year’s annual execution rate, with at least 54 people executed in the first three months of 2015. Apart from the statistics, the death penalty laws are more shocking and violate human rights. The royal decrees and legal opinions do not recognise LGBT rights and homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment, chemical castration and death penalty. Anyone advocating for them will also face the same consequences. Moreover, they do not have any laws against hate crimes and discrimination, so anyone can be arrested on suspicion of being homosexual and none can save him/her from the dreadful fate.
2. Sudan
In Sudan people are executed for apostasy, abandonment or renunciation of religious beliefs or political principles. Apostasy carries the mandatory death penalty unless the accused is a recent convert to Muslim.
3. China
Besides, violent crimes like treason, rape and murder, China gives death penalties for non-violent crimes like tax fraud. Since China is bound by law not to reveal the number of death penalties it executes every year, hence Amnesty International assumes that there must be thousands who are executed every year on charges of tax fraud. But it gives a time period of two years before it carries out the verdict so as to allow enough time to prove the guilt.
4. North Korea
The autocratic government of North Korea has suffocated the independence of media to its death. Anyone charged with the crime of consuming media not approved by the government is punished by a death penalty.
5. Somalia
The incident of the 13-year old girl who was stoned to death in front of a crowd of 1000 shocked the world. She was charged with adultery which is punishable by death in Somalia. Though she was said to have confessed to her guilt, Amnesty found out later that she begged for mercy and was gang-raped before being arrested.
6. Papua New Guinea
It is a common practice in Pacific countries to punish people suspicious of practising sorcery by awarding a death penalty. Women are the most vulnerable victims of this unjust verdict.