India must set up moratorium on executions: Amnesty

LONDON (Agencies) - India, South Korea and Taiwan should join the global trend and immediately establish a moratorium on the death penalty, rights group Amnesty International said Friday.

In an appeal to mark World Day Against the Death Penalty, Amnesty said these three nations had stopped executing criminals in recent years and should make that move official, setting an example for the rest of Asia.

The continent executes more people each year than any other part of the world, with China leading the way. Beijing executed at least 470 people last year, the rights group said, although the real figure is likely much higher.

Amnesty called for more transparency in nations where the death penalty is entrenched, as well as improvements in the judicial process and a review of the non-violent crimes punishable by death.

As of June, 137 countries worldwide had abolished the death penalty in practice or in law, including 27 in Asia. Amnesty said India, South Korea and Taiwan were now well-placed to join them.