A/HRC/39/19 review in July 2017, several Member States also recommended that the Philippines refrain from reinstituting the death penalty.48 13. During the reporting period several States adopted laws providing for the death penalty: India for hijacking,49 Nigeria for kidnapping,50 Singapore for nuclear terrorism51 and Thailand for corruption.52 In the Islamic Republic of Iran, amendments to the Law for Combating Drugs transformed some non-capital crimes into capital offences.53 In May 2018, Mauritania adopted amendments which impose the mandatory death penalty for “apostasy” and “blasphemy”.54 In the United Arab Emirates, a new law expanded the scope of the death penalty, including for threats to the State’s internal security.55 14. Egypt and India expanded the scope of the death penalty for violence against children. In Egypt, amendments to the Penal Code in January 2018 provide for the death penalty for the crime of child abduction when linked to an assault or rape. 56 In April 2018, the Indian Government passed an executive ordinance allowing the death penalty for the rape of children younger than 12 years.57 15. A number of States resumed or sought to resume executions during the reporting period. In 2016, Botswana58 and Nigeria59 carried out their first executions since 2013. In January 2017, three men were executed in Bahrain, the first executions since 2010; one of the men was under 18 at the time of the alleged crime. 60 Kuwait carried out the first executions in four years, hanging seven people in one day.61 In March 2017, Jordan carried out a group execution of 15 people.62 The United Arab Emirates carried out one execution in 2017, the first since 2015,63 and Thailand carried out its first execution in nine years in June 2018.64 III. Information on the use of the death penalty 16. In October 2017, the Secretary-General recalled that transparency was a prerequisite to assess whether the death penalty was being carried out in compliance with international human rights standards. He highlighted cases where limits were placed on the information that could be shared with defence lawyers, limiting their ability to appeal for clemency, and cases where anonymity was granted to companies, shielding them from potential advocacy against the use of their products in executions. The Secretary-General concluded that lack of transparency showed “a lack of respect for the human rights of those sentenced to death and to their families”. He also noted that it damaged the administration of justice more generally and that access to full 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 See A/HRC/36/12. Anti-Hijacking Act 2016. Reportedly in Benue, Bauchi and Lagos States. See www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/ACT5079552018ENGLISH.PDF, p. 37. Terrorism (Suppression of Misuse of Radioactive Material) Act. Anti-Corruption Law 2017. Submission by Abdorrahman Boroumand Center-Human Rights and Democracy for Iran. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23186&LangID=E. Decree Law No. 7(2016), 18 September 2016. Law No. 5 of 2018. Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018. See www.achpr.org/files/sessions/59th/inter-act-reps/267/59os_inter_session_dp_comm_kayitesi_eng.pdf, para. 15. See www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/ACT5057402017ENGLISH.PDF. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21092&LangID=E; and www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21118&LangID=E. See www.kuna.net.kw/. See www.petra.gov.jo. See www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/ACT5079552018ENGLISH.PDF. See http://bangkok.ohchr.org/news/press/Thaiexecution.aspx. 7