Capital punishment around the world
The recent execution of eight drug traffickers in Indonesia sparked a global outcry, with many opposing the death penalty. Despite protests and appeals, Indonesia went ahead with the executions by firing squad, sparing one at the eleventh hour –Filipino drug mule Mary Veloso.
While death by firing squad and hanging are common forms of capital punishment, there are a few more unusual styles of execution still happening worldwide today.
Firing squad
According to Death Penalty Worldwide, 29 countries use shooting by firing squad, while 23 other countries use shooting. Shooting by firing squad is when multiple people fire multiple shots, while shooting is a single shot to the back of the head.
Hanging
Death by hanging is used in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, among others. There are four methods:
i) Suspension – Uses body weight to tighten the noose causing death by strangulation.
ii) Short drop – The person is placed on the back of a vehicle or stool which is moved away, leaving the person dangling from the rope.
iii)Standard drop – Involves a drop of between 1.2m to 1.8m, breaking the person’s neck.
iv)Long drop – The amount of slack provided on a rope is measured against the person’s height and weight to ensure a broken neck.
Lethal injection
Lethal injection was first implemented in the U.S. in December 1982 on convicted murderer Charles Brooks. Amnesty International says over 1,000 U.S. prisoners have been executed with this method to date. This method was designed to prevent disturbing images associated with other forms of execution. It has also become the preferred method in China in recent years.
Electrocution
Death by electrocution was created by Thomas Edison’s employees and is used today in U.S. states like Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Virginia. Arkansas and Oklahoma laws provide for its use should lethal injection ever be held to be unconstitutional, while the Alabama House of Representatives recently approved a legislation to use the electric chair in executions as a secondary option to lethal injection.
Gas chamber
The gas chamber is used in five U.S. states, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. The condemned person is strapped to a chair and left inside an airtight chamber, which is then filled with cyanide gas. The prisoner is advised to inhale deeply to speed up the process, although many hold their breath.
Stoning
Indonesia, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen still use stoning for execution. However, it can only be used for specific offences, including adultery and sex-related offences. It’s almost never used to execute criminal offenders. The condemned are sedated prior to execution. Under Sharia law, the stones have to be sizable enough to cause severe injury, yet not too large that a person dies within one or two throws.
Beheading
According to Death Penalty Worldwide, the countries that authorise beheading include Benin, Republic of the Congo, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. A curved, single-edged sword known as a scimitar is used for beheading.
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is still practised in Saudi Arabia, with a recent case being last year’s execution of Shia minority protest figurehead Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Other countries that use crucifixion include Syria (where the Islamic State carried out crucifixions in 2014), Burma, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Falling from an unknown height
Almost unheard of today, this method of execution was used in ancient times. However, a recent article by The Independent reported cases of men accused of being gay getting thrown off towers in Iraq.
