"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man."
The Bible, Genesis 9:6.
During 2001, at least 3,048 prisoners were executed in 31 countries
and 5,265 people were sentenced to death in 69 countries.
These figures include only cases known to Amnesty International;
the true figures are certainly higher.
In 2001, 90 per cent of all known executions took place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the USA.