Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment, also known as death penalty, death sentence or execution, is a government sanctioned practice whereby a person is put to death as a punishment for a crime. Crimes that are punishable by death are known as capital crimes or capital offenses, and they commonly include crimes such as murder, espionage, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Fifty-six countries retain capital punishment, 103 countries have completely abolished it de jure for all crimes, six have abolished it for ordinary crimes and 30 are abolotionist in practice.

Methods
The following methods of execution were used in 2015:
 * Hanging (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Palestinian National Authority, Yemen, Egypt, India, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Liberia, Chad and Washington in the United States)
 * Shooting (China, Vietnam, North Korea, Belarus, Indonesia, Yemen and Oklahoma and Utah in the United States)
 * Lethal Injection (United States, Thailand, Guatemala, China and Vietnam)
 * Electrocution (Some U.S. states if the lethal injection is not available)
 * Gas Inhalation (Some U.S. states if the lethal injection is not available)
 * Beheading (Saudi Arabia)

Public Execution
A public execution is a form of capital punishment which "members of the general public may voluntarily attend".

Crimes against Humanity
Crimes against humanity such as genocide are usually punishable by death in countries retaining capital punishment. Death sentences for such crimes were handed down and carried out during the Nuremberg Trials in 194 and the Tokyo Trials in 1948 but the current International Criminal Court does not use capital punishment. The maximum penalty available to the International Criminal Court is life imprisonment.

Murder
International homicide is punishable by death in most countries retaining capital punishment but generally provided it involves an aggravating factor required by statute or judicial precedents.

Drug Trafficking
Some countries provide the death penalty for drug trafficking and related offenses, mostly in Southeast Asia. Among countries who regularly execute drug offenders are China, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Singapore.

Other Offenses
Other crimes punishable by death in some countries include terrorism, treason, espionage, crimes against the state, rape, economic crimes, kidnapping, separatism, adultery, sodomy and religious Hudud offenses such as apostasy, blasphemy, Moharebeh, Witchcraft and Sorcery and forms of aggravated robbery and hirabah.