A new report released by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) on the 23rd World Day Against the Death Penalty shows that over the past five years there has been no significant shift towards the abolition of the death penalty in Asia.
Paris, 10 October 2025. The 42-page report, titled “Enduring Injustice - A review of the death penalty in Asia (2020-2025),” presents key trends, developments, and figures related to the death penalty in the 20 retentionist countries in Asia from 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2025. The report, which was produced in collaboration with 17 FIDH member and partner organizations in the region, also provides a wide range of recommendations to relevant stakeholders.
“The application of the death penalty in Asia remains associated with serious violations of fundamental human rights, including the right to life, the right to a fair trial, the right to be free from torture, and the right to non-discrimination. Authorities in retentionist countries in the region must comply with their international human rights obligations – this alone represents a first crucial step on the road to the abolition of the death penalty,” said FIDH President Alice Mogwe.
In most of the retentionist countries in Asia, the death penalty remained in force for offenses that do not meet the threshold of “the most serious crimes” under international law, including political, economic, religious, and drug-related offenses. New laws expanding the application of the death penalty were introduced or enacted in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, North Korea, and Sri Lanka.
Executions were reported in 11 countries, including in Myanmar, where judicial executions resumed after 34 years of a de facto moratorium. In many countries, including China, Iran, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam, secrecy characterized the use of the death penalty.
Women were affected by the imposition of the death penalty because of laws that were discriminatory on the basis of gender in Afghanistan, Brunei, and Iran. In Thailand, women were disproportionately affected by the imposition of the death penalty for drug-related offenses.
While the death penalty remained widely used across Asia, the region also witnessed a few progressive developments, including: the reduction of the number of capital offenses in Malaysia, Pakistan, and Vietnam; the abolition of the mandatory death penalty for certain offenses in Malaysia; and the prohibitions of the imposition of death sentences on children in Sri Lanka and of executions of children in the Maldives. Positive court rulings related to various aspects of the application of the death penalty were reported in Bangladesh, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Taiwan. In addition, the death penalty faced legal challenges in South Korea and Taiwan.
The report suggests a medium-term pragmatic approach that builds on these positive developments, and calls on authorities in retentionist countries to actively engage with civil society to ensure an open debate about the death penalty.
FIDH, a founding member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP) and a member of its Steering Committee, opposes the death penalty for all crimes and in all circumstances.
