Global fall in death sentences

THE number of people sentenced to death worldwide dropped 17% from 3,117 in 2016 to 2,591 last year, figures reveal.

Executions also fell by 4% from 1,032 to 993 in 2017, said Amnesty International.

It comes after campaigning by human rights groups. Several African countries are edging towards abolition. Gambia has announced a moratorium and Zimbabwe has commuted the sentences of prisoners on death row for over 10 years.

Kerry Moscogiuri, of Amnesty, said: “It’s good to see death sentences falling and more countries moving toward abolition.”

More than 21,000 people remain on death row around the world.