Speaking of: : The Ultimate Punishment

The death sentence of double murder Robert Alton Harris has stirred debate over capital punishment in California. Here is a look at state-sponseored killings around the world The world’s top executioners: 1986-1990 Country: Number of Executions* Iran: 4,677+ China: 1,461+ South Africa**: 463+ Nigeria: 322+ Saudi Arabia: 228+ Taiwan: 182+ Lebanon: 106+ Mauritania: 100+ Yemen: 99+ U.S.A.: 93 * Does not include Iraq, from which no precise figures are available. But hundreds of judicial and extrajudicial executions are reported unofficially each year ** South Africa has had a moratorium on executions since February, 1990 Earliest countries to abolish the death penalty:

Country: Year Venezuela: 1863 San Marino: 1865 Costa Rica: 1877 Ecuador: 1906 Uruguay: 1907 Colombia: 1910 Iceland: 1928 Latest countries to abolish the death penalty:

Country Year Date of Last Execution Andorra 1990 1943 Czechoslovakia 1990 1988 Hungary 1990 1988 Ireland 1990 1954 Mozambique 1990 1986 Namibia 1990 1988 Sao Tome and Principe 1990 *

* None since independence in 1975 How the world’s countries stand on the death penalty: figures represent number of countries: Believed to have carried out executions within past 10 years: 106 Completely abolished: 44 Abolished for all but war crimes and other exceptional crimes: 16 Abolished de facto-- no executions in 10 years or more: 21 Legal execution methods Method: Number of Countries Shooting: 86 Hanging: 78 Beheading: 7 Stoning: 7 Electrocution: 1* Gas: 1* Lethal Injection: 1* * These methods used only in United States The Beheaders: Belgium Congo Mauritania Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Yemen The Stoners: Iran Mauritania Pakistan Saudi Arabia Sudan United Arab Emirates Yemen Facts:

* China and Iran together are believed to have carried out more than 80% of all the world’s executions last year (though complete 1991 figures are not available). China put to death at least 1,084 individuals and Iran at least 775. By comparison, 14 Americans were executed last year. The last known execution in San Marino occurred in 1468. Attempts to reintroduce the death penalty for common crimes were beaten back in Britain and Argentina during 1990.