Number of countries adopting the death penalty falls, but plays increase, says Anistia

Cada fewer countries use the death penalty, but the number of executions increased to an alarming level, especially in Iran and Saudi Arabia, states the annual report human rights NGO Amnesty International on the use of capital punishment around the world.

According to the organization, 676 people were executed in 20 countries in 2011, an increase of 149 over the previous year. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen and the United States topped the list, being responsible for the vast majority of sentenças.Há evidence that China is the country with the highest number of executions, surpassing the thousands, but the statistics are not published government. "China executes more prisoners than all other countries of the world combined, in thousands, but we have no concrete information because the numbers are hidden."

In addition, 18,750 prisoners are held on death row around the world.

For Jan Wetzel, Amnesty International's expert on death penalty, the survey results are worrying.

"The group of countries that use capital punishment decreased, but within that group, a minority of countries is greatly increasing the sentences," he said.

Foreign



He also emphasizes the global nature of the subject, and says that among the many foreigners are convicted, which concerned the entity.

Two cases of Brazilian lifers gained much publicity in recent years, both arrested in Indonesia.

The Parana and Rio Rodrigo Gularte Muxfeldt Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira are held in the archipelago in Southeast Asia for trafficking cocaine and wait on death row.

An appeal by the then President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to fellow Indonesian Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was not enough to have the decision reversed by a presidential pardon - the only way to avoid both a firing squad.



Immigrants



According to the Foreign Ministry, in 2010 (latest data) 2659 Brazilians were arrested abroad, serving sentences or awaiting trial.



According to Amnesty International migrants seeking work in countries like Saudi Arabia and Malaysia are among the most face difficulties.

"Most are very poor. Never have diplomatic attention or the opportunity to appeal their presidents. Many do not understand the language of the courts and can not hire a lawyer," says Jan Wetzel.

USA



Wetzel believes the U.S. is increasingly isolated among developed nations for being the only one to use this type of penalty, and although the American Society of significant polarization between critics and defenders of the death penalty, the trend of the last decade is toward the extinction of the death penalty.



"There are discussions, but they are reconsidering. The State of Illinois has abolished, and today we have a third of executions less than in 2001," he says.



Of the 50 states, 34 still maintain the death penalty and 16 have abolished.



For the expert, there is even an economic aspect that should become increasingly taken into account.



"It costs the government more expensive to execute someone than to use a life sentence. In the case of the death penalty, there are at least eight features, and the trial lasts an average of 13 years. In the case of life imprisonment, the state spends less," said.