Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations (UN) has expressed deep concern over Somalia’s increasing use of the death penalty, urging the Somali government to immediately suspend executions.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, ranked Somalia among the world’s top countries carrying out executions in recent years.

Speaking at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, Türk stated that capital punishment is a violation of human dignity and the right to life. He also revealed that executions globally increased by 31% in 2023, with Somalia listed alongside Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States as the top executioners.

“Capital punishment has no place in the 21st century,” said Türk, reiterating that the UN opposes the death penalty in all forms.

According to UN data, Somalia carried out 38 executions in 2023, a significant increase from 11 executions in 2022. Amnesty International also confirmed that Somalia was the only African country that officially conducted executions last year.

While Somalia maintains the death penalty as a legal form of punishment, the government often justifies it as a deterrent against terrorism and violent crimes. However, human rights organizations have urged Somalia to reform its legal system and adopt alternative punishments.

UN Concerned Over Execution of Juveniles in Somalia

One of the UN’s biggest concerns is Somalia’s execution of individuals who were minors at the time of their crimes.

In August 2024, Puntland executed four young men convicted by a military court, sparking international outrage. UNICEF condemned the executions as “a blatant violation of international law.”

UN Calls on Somalia to Abolish the Death Penalty

Volker Türk noted that 113 countries have completely abolished the death penalty, while 129 UN member states voted in December 2024 for a global moratorium on executions.

He praised Zimbabwe for recently joining the growing number of African nations that have abolished capital punishment and urged Somalia to follow suit.