Arab spring leads to wave of Middle East state executions

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Arab spring leads to wave of Middle East state executions

Arab uprisings lead to rise in capital punishment in Middle East but Amnesty finds some comfort in world figures – even in ChinaCapital punishment in 2011 – interactiveMiddle Eastern countries have stepped up their use of capital punishment, executing hundreds of people as rulers across the region seek to deter the wave of uprisings sweeping the Arab countries. Despite a significant reduction in the number of countries that used the death penalty worldwide last year, there was a sharp rise in executions in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen, according to Amnesty International’s annual capital punishment survey, released on Tuesday.