China defended its use of the death penalty Tuesday, after an Amnesty International report said it carried out the most executions worldwide in 2007.
According to the human rights group, China led the world in executions with at least 470, with most killed by a gunshot to the back of the head or by lethal injection.
Amnesty International said some of the executions were for non-violent crimes such as tax evasion, smuggling and organizing prostitution.
Activists have used protests against the Olympic torch relay to draw attention to China's human rights record, including a recent crackdown in Tibet.
While China's total number of executions is down from 1,010 in 2006, Amnesty International warned the 2007 number could be higher because China considers death penalty data a state secret and doesn't make the information public.
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According to the human rights group, China led the world in executions with at least 470, with most killed by a gunshot to the back of the head or by lethal injection.
Amnesty International said some of the executions were for non-violent crimes such as tax evasion, smuggling and organizing prostitution.
Activists have used protests against the Olympic torch relay to draw attention to China's human rights record, including a recent crackdown in Tibet.
While China's total number of executions is down from 1,010 in 2006, Amnesty International warned the 2007 number could be higher because China considers death penalty data a state secret and doesn't make the information public.
Full story
Do you think the Olympic games in China will have an effect on its human rights record?
More...
