Capital punishment is the lawful deprivation of life upon a person as a punishment, usually for a serious criminal offense. In developed countries, the death penalty is always replaced by a trial. Execution can only be performed by an authorized representative of the state, otherwise, this action is considered murder which is punishable by the law. In many cases, the capital punishment is replaced by life imprisonment or a long-term imprisonment by court orders. On rare occasions, a person sentenced to death by a court can be pardoned by the highest state or state official (president, monarch, the prime minister, etc.). It was used in almost every country, since ancient times. However, since last decades it was banned in many nations and around …show more content…
In many countries, trials do not meet international standards of a fair trial, and there are many cases when “confessions” were given under torture or through ill-treatment. People are still being sentenced to death and executed even though it does not meet the criteria of being a serious crime. According to the norms of international law, the death penalty can be imposed only for deliberate crimes with human victims, and mandatory death sentences are prohibited. Still, in several Asian countries, the death penalty is applied for crimes that do not lead to death, including drug trafficking and theft.
The planned execution of prisoners on death row continues to be a political and social issue of capital punishment around the world, but most particularly in Asia, where it is still being widely used. According to Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, 13 countries of Asia: China, India, Japan, North Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and others still retain the death penalty for ordinary
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In December 2016, the Supreme People's Court overturned the unfair condemnation of one of the most famous cases involving a miscarriage of justice, which led to the unlawful execution of Nabu Shubin. He was executed 21 years ago at the age of 20 years. In 2016, the courts in China abolished four death sentences for proving the innocence of previously convicted persons.
Among the industrialized countries, Japan remains the only one where the system of the death penalty that exists in fully preserved. Executions in Japan are conducted in secrecy, and prisoners are informed of them only in a few hours, and some are not warned. Their relatives and lawyers are usually informed of the execution only after it has already taken place.
UN experts sharply criticize Japan for the lack of adequate legal guarantees for those sentenced to death. For example, defendants are deprived of the proper assistance of an attorney and there is no mandatory procedure for appealing a sentence in cases where the death penalty may be imposed. It is also known that several prisoners with mental or mental disorders were executed or are on death