ROME — The number of prisoners put to death worldwide decreased in 2008, a human-rights group said Wednesday, adding that China remained the world’s top executioner.
Executions in the U.S. were down, while Iran and Saudi Arabia appeared near the top of the list, the anti-death-penalty group Hands Off Cain said in a report about 2008 and the first six months of this year.
The group said at least 5,727 executions were carried out in 2008, down from 5,851 the year before. It said that 46 countries retained the death penalty last year, three fewer than in 2007.
The report said China accounted for at least 5,000 executions — 87.3 percent of the total — the same estimate as in past reports.
In Beijing, official media reported Wednesday that the highest court, which reviews execution orders by lower courts, has called for the death penalty to be used less often and for only the most serious criminal cases.
