CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Current cases of Capital Punishment in

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Current cases of Capital Punishment in the World & Country Study: the U. S.

Methods and Countries n Beheading: Saudi Arabia and Iraq. n Electric chair: U. S. only. n n Hanging: Egypt, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Pakistan, Singapore and some others. Poison gas: U. S. though has been replaced by Lethal injection.

Methods and Countries n n n Lethal injection: This method is used in China, Guatemala, Philippines, Thailand, and the U. S. Stoning: Used in North Afghanistan and Iran. Firing squad: United Arab Emirates (though last in U. S. on 1996).

Countries that have executed people during 2007: n n n Countries with 25 or more executions: Iraq (29), Iran (265), Pakistan (29), Saudi Arabia (156), USA (42). Countries with 2 to 25 executions: Afghanistan (15), Bangladesh (6), China (13), Japan (9), North Korea (8), Singapore (2), Somalia (3), Sudan (2), Syria (5), Yemen (7). Countries with 1 execution: Belarus, Botswana, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kuwait.

Quality of Data n Unfortunately the quality of this data is poor because most of the countries that execute people are dictatorships with few human rights; their governments frequently do not release complete data (from our point of view).

Country Study: the U. S. Blue states have no death penalty statute. Yellow-green states have a death penalty statute but have not executed anyone since 1976. Reddish-orange states have executed people since 1976.

Death Penalty Statistics Executions* New Inmates Under Death Sentence** 111 Death Row population (as of Jan. 1)^ 2008 37 115 3, 309 2007 42 284 3, 350 1999 98 Percentage of executions by region: South (35 executions) Midwest (2) West (0) Northeast (0) TEXAS (18) 95% 5% 3% 0% 49% 86% 12% 2% 0% 62% 75% 12% 1% 36% Public Support for Death Penalty (Gallup Poll) 64% 69% 71% Executions Since 1976 1136 Texas 423 Virginia 102 Oklahoma 88 3, 549

Case Study: Saddam Hussein n n Saddam Hussein: The president of Iraq from 19792003. He was hung on the 30 th December 2006. This was the first day of the Muslim Eid-Ul. Adha. Executing Saddam on this day is like executing someone on Christmas day in a Christian

Saddam was responsible for the torture and deaths of hundreds of thousands Iraqi people. Victims of Saddam Hussein's poison gas attack on Halabja, March 1988 n

Kurds in Iran face death by government firing squads

Saddam Hussein was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. The former Iraqi leader was convicted over the killing of 148 people in the mainly Shia town of Dujail following an assassination attempt on him in 1982. Saddam Hussein in court as the verdict was being read

V A L U E O F H U M A N L I F E What arguments can you think of against executing people? Teach that killing is wrong by killing? Cru el? Supporters of Saddam protest over his hanging. ? e n In h a m u

What arguments can you think of that support executions? Ju e c i st Revenge s m i t c i v e l l Th i w s e i l i fam tter!? e b l e fe Saddam being prepared for his hanging. He w ill ne re-off ver end.