A/HRC/18/20 F. Countries that have reintroduced the use of the death penalty, extended its scope or resumed executions 19. In 2010, the scope of the death penalty was expanded in Gambia. Three laws14 were adopted by the National Assembly to make human trafficking, rape, violent robbery and possession of more than 250 grams of heroin or cocaine offences punishable by the death penalty.15 20. A new anti-narcotics law was passed in December 2010 and came into force on 4 January 2011 in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Article 18 of the new law provides for the death penalty for drug traffickers and traders.16 21. In February 2011, China introduced the death penalty for forced organ removal from juveniles resulting in death.17 III. Enforcement of the death penalty 22. As has been noted in previous reports of the Secretary-General, up-to-date and accurate global figures on the application of the death penalty are difficult to obtain. This difficulty arises from a lack of transparency on the part of many States in relation to the numbers and characteristics of individuals executed. In some countries, this information is considered a State secret or an issue of national criminal justice system which should not be interfered with. Publishing figures on the use of the death penalty is prohibited by law in one State. 23. In 2010, the global number of executions (excluding China) estimated by human rights organizations was 527, with the proviso that the actual figure may be significantly higher.18 It was further reported that at least 2,024 new death sentences were known to have been imposed in 67 countries in 2010.19 While there is no accurate information on the total number of executions in China, Amnesty International reported that in 2010 China continued to use the death penalty extensively and executed thousands of people for a wide range of crimes that included non-violent offences.20 24. Amnesty International reported that in most countries where support for the death penalty is still strong, capital punishment reportedly continues to be imposed after unfair trials and is often based on confessions extracted through torture. In most countries, the death penalty is used disproportionately against the poor, members of minority racial, ethnic and religious communities and other minorities. In some countries death sentences are handed down for non-violent crimes that do not meet the threshold of “most serious 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 6 The Drug Control Amendment Act 2010, the Trafficking in Persons Amendment Act 2010 and the Criminal Code Amendment Act 2010. In April 2011, however, the Parliament of Gambia abolished the death penalty for drug offences. See para. 13 above. Interim report of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran (A/HRC/16/75), para. 11. China, “China exempts 13 crimes” (note 13 above). Amnesty International, Death Sentences (note 6 above), p. 5. See also World Coalition against the Death Penalty, Facts and Figures about the Death Penalty 2010, available from www.worldcoalition.org/modules/wfdownloads/singlefile.php?cid=34&lid=342, and Hands off Cain, draft death penalty worldwide report 2011 (forthcoming), p. 3. Amnesty International, Death Sentences, p. 5. Ibid., p. 19.