Should the death penalty be abolished worldwide?
The US allows more methods for execution as 39 countries reject UN resolution on a moratorium.
The death penalty is undoubtedly one of the most controversial issues around the world.
Although it has been abolished in much of the world, it is still carried out in at least 54 countries.
The United States Department of Justice has now allowed more methods, including a firing squad and electrocution.
And last week, the US was one of 39 countries that rejected a United Nations resolution for a moratorium on capital punishment.
So, why is capital punishment still favoured in many places?
Presenter: Imran Khan
Guests:
Stephanie McLennan – Senior manager at Asia Initiatives, Human Rights Watch
Hamed Mousavi – Professor of political science at Tehran University
Ian Woods – Author of Surviving Execution: A Miscarriage of Justice and the Fight to End the Death Penalty