809:
method of execution in which the condemned was placed in between two boats, force-fed a mixture of milk and honey, and left floating in a stagnant pond. The victim would then suffer from severe diarrhoea, which would attract insects that would burrow and nest in the victim, eventually causing death
318:. First used in the United States in 2024, nitrogen hypoxia has since been adopted by Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma as a secondary method. The gas chamber in general is legal in Arizona, California, Missouri, and Wyoming as a secondary method.
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1094:) by inquisitorial tribunals. Melville, however, refers only to its use as a torture method, while Abbott suggests that the device was purposely allowed to kill the victim if he refused to confess.
141:
In Iran, short-drop hanging is used. This involves pulling a stool out from below the condemned. The drop is too short to cause breakage of the neck, resulting in a slower death from strangulation.
50:
One of the two most prevalent methods, in use in most countries still retaining capital punishment, usually with a calculated drop to cause neck fracture and instant loss of consciousness. Used by
915:
544:
Cutting the skin of the victim by the spine, breaking the ribs so they resembled blood-stained wings, and pulling the lungs out through the wounds in the victim's back. Possibly used by the
824:
The methodical removal of portions of the body over an extended period of time, usually with a knife, eventually resulting in death. Sometimes known as "death by a thousand cuts".
299:. Only South Carolina has it as the primary method. Now only legal in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee as a secondary method.
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857:. The victim is placed in cage hanging from a gallows-type structure in a public location and left to die to deter other existing or potential criminals.
863:. The confinement of the victim by walling in. Though this was also used as a form of imprisonment for life, in which case, the victim was usually fed.
607:
were supposedly killed this way. The execution method is associated with counterfeits (by pouring down the neck) or traitors (by pouring on the head).
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Execution by drowning is attested very early in history, by a large variety of cultures, and as the method of execution for many different offences.
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The victim is battered by stones thrown by a group of people, with the injuries leading to death. It is legal in
Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran,
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The penetration of the body by an object such as a stake, pole, spear, or hook, often by complete or partial perforation of the torso.
357:
Many of the former methods combine execution with torture, often intending to make a spectacle of pain and suffering with overtones of
1117:
Academic research database on the laws, practice, and statistics of capital punishment for every death penalty country in the world.
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207:
613:. The victim was put inside an iron bull statue and then cooked alive after a fire was lit under it (of disputed historicity).
1080:
Execution: the guillotine, the
Pendulum, the Thousand Cuts, the Spanish Donkey, and 66 Other Ways of Putting Someone to Death
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1110:
463:, used during the Roman Empire. The victim was stuffed into a sack with a number of animals and thrown into a body of water.
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71:
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European maritime punishment of dragging the victim against the barnacles on a ship. (Not usually intended to be lethal.)
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830:. A machine with an axe head for a weight that slices closer to the victim's torso over time (of disputed historicity).
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A Mongolian method of execution that avoided the spilling of blood on the ground (example: the
Mongolian leader
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Practiced by sawing or cutting a victim in half, either sagittally (usually midsagittally), or transversely.
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1046:"Here is what happened during an execution by molten gold | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine"
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Carried out using a large cauldron filled with water, oil, tar, tallow, or even molten lead.
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Used at various points in history in many countries. One of the most famous methods was the
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898:"North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un's executions: anti-aircraft guns, flamethrowers, mortars"
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First used in the United States in 1982, lethal injection has since been adopted by China,
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R.D. Melville (1905), "The Use and Forms of
Judicial Torture in England and Scotland,"
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By a single shot (such as a shot to the back of a head or heart, as in
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953:"This Won't Hurt a Bit: A Painlessly Short (and Incomplete) Evolution of Execution"
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Often employed as a supplementary part of the execution, e.g., with drawing in
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but may not insult him (사가살불가욕, 士可殺不可辱). Poisoning by drinking an infusion of
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916:"North Korean defector reveals horror of Kim Jong-un's teenage sex slaves"
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503:. The result of short-drop hanging (only used in Iran in modern times).
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Before modern times, sayak (사약, 賜藥) was the method used for nobles (
510:. Used in Spain and former Spanish colonies (e.g., the Philippines).
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The victim is thrown off a height or into a hollow (example: the
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was used as a method of execution in
Ancient Greece (e.g., the
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1033:"Captured by the Indians - 15 Firsthand Accounts, 1750-1870"
1492:
Resolutions concerning death penalty at the United
Nations
1090:, p. 213. Both of these refer to the use of the pendulum (
935:"N. Korea executed 5 security officials, S. Korea says"
534:
Tying to the mouth of a cannon, which is then fired.
253:
Supposedly, by excessively powerful weaponry such as
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At the stake. Infamous as a method of execution for
346:, Northern Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen.
257:, according to various media sources, practised in
153:The other most prevalent method. Can be applied:
1514:
999:. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 53.
16:Methods of Capital Punishment (Unused and Used)
332:. Now only used in Saudi Arabia with a sword.
1142:
851:is the most notable instance of this method.
629:and John Darren Caymo were killed this way.
625:By a weight, abruptly or as a slow ordeal.
402:, "being thrown to the lions"), as well as
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1135:
1035:, Dover Publications, Mineola, N.Y., 1985.
1078:, vol. 2, p. 228; Geoffrey Abbott (2006)
568:Also known as the Catherine wheel, after
524:was probably executed this way in 1206).
992:
314:Only ever used by the United States and
295:Only ever used by the United States and
1497:Capital punishment for drug trafficking
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199:before the switch to lethal injection).
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713:thrown from an airplane into the ocean
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1502:Capital punishment for homosexuality
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703:were cast). In Argentina during the
996:The History of the Mongol Conquests
933:McKirdy, Euan (February 28, 2017).
596:to torture their captives to death.
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1425:Most recent executions by country
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1020:The Secret History of the Mongols
725:The removal of the entire skin.
572:who was executed by this method.
486:by burning coal in a sealed room.
352:
281:, Nigeria, Taiwan, Thailand, and
993:Saunders, J. J. (1 March 2001).
681:English method of execution for
641:hanging, drawing, and quartering
1477:Religion and capital punishment
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429:", with four horses, as in
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1009:– via Google Books.
484:Carbon monoxide poisoning
413:Tearing apart by horses (
392:Biting by animals, as in
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1123:China History Punishment
1108:Death Penalty Worldwide:
1031:Frederick Drimmer (ed.)
972:Carbon Monoxide Toxicity
969:Penney, David G. (2000)
761:) and royals during the
425:, with four horses; or "
711:were later drugged and
653:Used as punishment for
601:Marcus Licinius Crassus
570:Catherine of Alexandria
192:before the moratorium).
1065:, book I, chapter VII.
1022:, book 8, chapter 201.
677:Drawing and quartering
195:By machine gun (as in
496:who broke their vows.
120:Saint Kitts and Nevis
922:. 21 September 2017.
904:. 22 September 2017.
849:crucifixion of Jesus
387:Crushing by elephant
248:United Arab Emirates
206:(as in parts of the
1528:Death-related lists
1523:Crime-related lists
1310:Republican marriage
1239:Damnatio ad bestias
975:, CRC Press, p. 5,
701:battle of Arginusae
395:damnatio ad bestias
21:list of methods of
1482:Wrongful execution
1394:Suffocation in ash
1250:Blowing from a gun
1158:Capital punishment
1113:2013-11-13 at the
530:Blowing from a gun
478:Suffocation in ash
432:The Song of Roland
255:anti-aircraft guns
23:capital punishment
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1255:Brazen bull
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1206:Gas chamber
1063:"Hellenica"
902:foxnews.com
845:Crucifixion
805:An Ancient
769:due to the
741:Keelhauling
627:Giles Corey
611:Brazen bull
540:Blood eagle
492:. Used for
446:, the last
437:Middle East
421:Europe and
398:(i.e., the
307:(including
305:Gas chamber
297:Philippines
259:North Korea
220:North Korea
210:, Bahrain,
176:, Myanmar,
128:South Sudan
52:Afghanistan
1517:Categories
1404:Waist chop
1368:Mazzatello
1362:Ishikozume
1357:Impalement
1352:Immurement
1342:Guillotine
1290:Decimation
1006:0812217667
884:References
861:Immurement
838:Starvation
731:Impalement
427:quartering
404:crocodiles
344:Mauritania
330:guillotine
246:, and the
236:Tajikistan
72:Gaza Strip
60:Bangladesh
19:This is a
1462:Last meal
1435:Death row
1337:Gibbeting
1211:Beheading
855:Gibbeting
751:Poisoning
705:Dirty War
697:Barathron
316:Lithuania
275:Guatemala
224:Indonesia
180:, Sudan,
124:Singapore
1467:Penology
1379:Scaphism
1317:Elephant
1305:Drowning
1285:Crushing
1179:Shooting
1111:Archived
1059:Xenophon
872:See also
828:Pendulum
801:Scaphism
707:, those
667:Drowning
621:Crushing
586:heretics
471:Asphyxia
419:medieval
279:Maldives
197:Thailand
170:Ethiopia
166:DR Congo
149:Shooting
116:Pakistan
108:Malaysia
64:Botswana
1389:Stoning
1332:Garrote
1327:Flaying
1322:Falling
1275:Burning
1260:Boiling
1230:methods
1216:Stoning
1174:Hanging
1092:pendola
939:cnn.com
807:Persian
779:hemlock
758:yangban
721:Flaying
691:Falling
657:in the
590:witches
578:Burning
554:Boiling
546:Vikings
522:Jamukha
508:garrote
455:Baghdad
448:Abbasid
380:Animals
338:Stoning
283:Vietnam
232:Somalia
216:Nigeria
158:Belarus
112:Myanmar
104:Liberia
100:Lebanon
56:Bahamas
46:Hanging
1374:Sawing
1270:Burial
1086:
1003:
979:
812:sepsis
791:Sawing
775:seonbi
451:Caliph
408:sharks
400:cliché
371:Method
359:sadism
244:Uganda
190:Russia
188:, and
182:Taiwan
134:, and
96:Kuwait
92:Jordan
37:Method
1430:Crime
810:from
767:Korea
417:, in
240:Qatar
186:Yemen
174:Libya
162:China
136:Syria
132:Sudan
88:Japan
76:India
68:Egypt
1445:list
1084:ISBN
1001:ISBN
977:ISBN
603:and
588:and
415:e.g.
406:and
228:Oman
212:Cuba
84:Iraq
80:Iran
785:).
765:in
506:By
499:By
453:in
202:By
1519::
1061:,
955:.
937:.
918:.
900:.
715:.
685:.
643:.
457:).
285:.
277:,
250:).
242:,
238:,
230:,
226:,
222:,
218:,
214:,
184:,
168:,
164:,
160:,
138:.
130:,
126:,
122:,
118:,
114:,
110:,
106:,
102:,
98:,
94:,
90:,
86:,
82:,
78:,
74:,
70:,
66:,
62:,
58:,
54:,
1150:e
1143:t
1136:v
1048:.
983:.
959:.
941:.
480:.
439:.
410:.
389:.
311:)
261:.
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