Indonesia bucks global downward trend in executions, killing 6 since June

Indonesia may be accelerating executions of convicted murderers and drug offenders to demonstrate authority over its 235 million people, following a decade of often chaotic democratic rule, human rights groups say. Six people have gone before the firing squad in a spate of state-sponsored killings following a 14-month hiatus that ended in June. Some activists note that Indonesia is bucking a downward trend in the death penalty globally. "An execution is actually becoming quite a rare event," said Piers Bannister of Amnesty International, a London-based rights group that campaigns against capital punishment in all cases. "Both common sense and numerous studies have shown it's not a deterrent." Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has steadily built up democratic institutions since shaking off 32 years of... [read full story]