Nevertheless, the region also witnessed a few progressive developments.
We suggest a medium-term pragmatic approach that builds on these positive developments, and calls on authorities in retentionist countries to actively engage with civil society to ensure an open debate about the death penalty.

-> Women were affected by the imposition of the death penalty because of laws that were discriminatory on the basis of gender in Afghanistan, Brunei, and Iran. In Thailand, women were disproportionately affected by the imposition of the death penalty for drug-related offenses.

-> In most retentionist countries, the death penalty remains for offenses that don't meet the threshold of “most serious crimes” under intl law
-> New laws expanding the use of the death penalty were introduced or enacted in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, North Korea + Sri Lanka

-> Executions were reported in 11 countries, including in Myanmar, where judicial executions resumed after 34 years of a de facto moratorium.
-> In many countries, including China, Iran, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam, secrecy characterized the use of the death penalty.

We looked at developments in the 20 retentionist countries in Asia from 2020 to 2025. While there have been some glimmers of home in a few select countries, some countries took steps backward rather than forward.

Here are some of our key findings:

The report focuses on the situation of the rights of persons with disabilities in the DPRK, with an emphasis on the following issues: equality & non-discrimination; awareness-raising; accessibility, living independently, & mobility; access to justice; education & health; implementation & monitoring.

Civilians in Iran and Israel are once again bearing the brunt of these attacks. This aggression, emboldened by Israel’s impunity, overshadows Israel’s continued international crimes against Palestinians, including genocide in Gaza and colonial violence in the West Bank.