'Alarming' surge in executions, says Amnesty (BBC)
Amnesty International says there was a surge in the number of executions carried out worldwide in 2011, mainly due to the middle east.
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Overall however, fewer countries now practice the death penalty, the group noted.
It said the number of countries using capital punishment has fallen by a third, compared to a decade ago.
"Only 20 countries are known to have carried out executions which means that 178 are not carrying out executions," Amnesty's general secretary Salil Shetty told the BBC.
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The group also condemned as "shameful" the US's use of the death penalty, noting that it was the only Western democracy to execute prisoners last year.
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The US ranked fifth in the world in capital punishment, with 43 people executed last year. The figure fell slightly from 2010, when 46 people were executed.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-17520053
