Juveniles and the death penalty: executions worldwide since 1985

Index Number: ACT 50/005/1995
Date Published: 29 August 1995

Since 1985, eight countries have executed juvenile offenders - those sentenced to death for crimes committed when they were under 18 - even though international human rights standards and treaties prohibit such executions. Though few compared to the total number of executions, their significance far exceeds their number, calling into question the commitment of some countries to respecting the right to life and international law and human rights standards. This report gives information on the execution of juvenile offenders in the following countries: Bangladesh; Iran; Iraq; Nigeria; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Yemen; and the United States of America, which accounts for the majority of documented executions of juvenile offenders in the world.