Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire
Promoting human rights from Salisbury UK
January 2026
We are pleased to attach the latest death penalty report thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. Florida is a feature this month with the rapid increase in the number of executions. Saudi has executed a huge number of people – almost one a day. We note as ever that China executes more of its people than the rest of the world combined but details are a state secret.
January 2026
Florida is carving out for itself an unenviable reputation as the state with the worst record for executions in America. The US is the only country in the Americas to retain the penalty in some states at least and under Governor DeSantis, Florida is rapidly increasing the numbers heading for execution.
There is an organisation Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) which is seeking to end the use of the penalty in the state and is campaigning for that to happen. They have recently published a report ‘We the People’ – the opening words of the US Constitution – and this post draws largely on that.
It is 10 years ago we drew attention the legal process in the US and the work of the British lawyer, Clive Stafford-Smith who has campaigned for many years on behalf of those on death row. He wrote a book called Injustice and we discussed aspects from it in that post. Essentially the process is profoundly flawed which is of life and death importance to those caught up in it. Evidence favourable to the defendant is not always released to the defence and lawyers are sometimes ill-equipped to carry out trials of such importance.
If anything the situation has got worse. The rule now is that only 8 out of 12 jurors are needed for a conviction which clearly means those who have misgivings are ignored. Sex trafficking has been added to the list of crimes subject to the penalty which will increase the incentive to silence victims thus making the situation worse not better.
Another disturbing feature is that seven of the 19 who were executed were veterans and clearly indicates that these are not people who could be termed ‘the worst of the worst’. They may be disturbed as a result of their service – in Afghanistan for example – and execution is not an answer.
With Florida responsible for 40% of the nations executions there is something happening quite outside any increase in criminality. It seems that the Governor, Ron DeSantis is a keen proponent signing orders almost as soon as the jury has left the court. It is suggested that this rise in executions is part of his drive to show he is ‘tough on crime’ and his desire to be the next President. Yet as we have pointed out on many occasions, there has been no evidence of the penalty having a deterrent effect. It is as barbaric as it is ineffective.
FADP reports that the executions take place in remote parts of the state possibly to discourage media reporting which seems curious in view of the Governor’s desire to show toughness.
The group produces a report on the death penalty around the world each month.
December 2025
We are pleased to attach our monthly death penalty report thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. Contains a lot about America, or specifically the US the only nation on the continent still to have the penalty. Note as usual that there is no mention of China which is believed to execute more of its citizens than the rest of the world put together but the statistics are a state secret.
November 2025
UPDATE: 21 November. Randolph was executed yesterday making it the 17th in the state. Further background can be read in a Tallahassee Democrat post. There is also material on Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty FADP.
There has been a big increase in executions in Florida – 15 so far this year and another one due to take place today (20 November) of Richard Barry Randolph. This compares with 1 last year and a downward trend in the US as a whole. The reason for this surge is hard to determine but much of the US media and opinion seems to point to the Governor Ron DeSantis. It is alleged that this sudden surge is part of his campaign to run for president in 2028 at the end (?) of the Trump era.
There are many troubling aspects about the executions. Florida is almost unique in allowing the governor
to have the final decision. Other states now leave this to the judiciary. But there is also disquiet about the secrecy of the decision making process. ‘Florida’s governor has no criteria, procedure, or guidelines in place for selecting who lives and who dies…Granting the governor unfettered discretion has, in practice, led to a completely arbitrary process for determining who lives and who dies‘ [attorney for Thomas Gudinas]. De Santis has offered no explanation for this sudden increase in executions.
Anyone who has read Clive Stafford-Smith’s book Injustice will know the inefficient court process in the US particularly for poor people. The level of mistakes in the state is high. Since 1989 there have been no less than 93 individuals wrongfully convicted and exonerated. Needless to say, if someone has already been executed it’s a mistake that cannot be rectified.
The judicial process seems to offer little confidence with 6 or the seven justices on the Florida Supreme Court appointed by the governor. The jury system has been altered so that only 8 out of the 12 jurors is needed for a guilty verdict. The results are clear to see with 35% of those on death row are Black whereas they represent only 17% of the population.
There is no evidence that the death penalty is a deterrence. As we have noted, mistakes cannot be afterwards rectified. It would appear that this sudden rise is due to the Governor’s desire to raise his credibility with a view to the presidential election in 2028. As the Palm Beach Post notes, ‘the system is riddled with issues ..’ (18 November).
Sources: Palm Beach Post, WUSF, The Conversation, Guardian, FADP
See our monthly Death Penalty Report
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November 2025
We are pleased to attach the current death penalty report for mid October to mid November thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. Florida features quite strongly as does Iran which is executing young people – a truly horrific act. There is also material on Israel which is considering laws for Palestinians quite different from the Jewish population, an example of apartheid which operates there. We note as ever that even though China makes a brief entry, the country is believed to execute more of its citizens than the rest of the world combined but details are a state secret.
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Material on this site is free to use by other Amnesty or human rights groups.
April 2025
We are pleased to attach the group’s death penalty report thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. In a previous post (see below) we refer to the Amnesty annual report for 2024 which shows that while the number of countries using the report has held steady, the number of executions has risen markedly. We do not know of the huge number executed in China since the statistics are a state secret.
September 2023
We are pleased to attach the latest death penalty report produced by group member Lesley for the period mid August to mid September 2023. As ever there is good news and bad with some countries engaged in heavy use of the penalty. China – believed to be the world’s largest executioner of its citizens – is briefly mentioned but detailed statistics are not available because they are a state secret. It is depressing to note in the UK, that following the conviction of Lucy Letby of murdering new born infants and attempting to murder others, a national newspaper ran a poll showing a strong majority to bring the death penalty back for such crimes.
May 2023
We are pleased to attach the latest report thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. Note that although China appears briefly, it remains the country thought to execute more of its citizens than the rest of the world combined but details are a state secret.
Today is Marita Maharaj’s birthday.
She is 81 years old – she’s now had 34 birthdays without her beloved husband Kris by her side.
It’s been a difficult year for the elderly couple. A judge found that Kris was innocent by “clear and convincing evidence” but still refused to order his release.
Marita worries about Kris, this year more than ever before – he’s 81 years old, in poor health and at risk of the worst effects of coronavirus in a crowded Florida prison. And because of the pandemic, instead of a visit each week, she has not been able to see him since March.
Further details can be found on this link about this shocking case and miscarriage of justice in America.
We have some bad news from Reprieve. Kris Maharaj’s request for a conditional medical release was denied by the Florida Department for Corrections. The DOC didn’t even bother to send a doctor to evaluate him, or include a reason for denying Reprieve’s request. And that’s why they have filed a challenge to their decision.
At the end of the day, the question is a simple one: is Kris a danger to others? No.
Kris never has been. But the prison is a danger to him. He is 81 and particularly vulnerable as COVID-19 sweeps through the prison system. He should be at home with his wife Marita right now.
When we have further news we shall publish it here.
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 