Huang Linkai’s execution is unlawful as an appeal had been filed

No time for final family visit as execution carried out at short notice

The Government must immediately stop any plans to carry out further executions

‘This is a huge setback for human rights in Taiwan’ - E-Ling Chiu

Responding to the first execution carried out by the Taiwanese authorities since April 2020, E-Ling Chiu, Amnesty International Taiwan’s Director, said:

 "This execution is a shocking and cruel development. Taiwan’s Minister of Justice, with a strike of his pen, has undone several years of hard-fought progress towards the abolition of the death penalty. This is a huge setback for human rights in Taiwan.

 "The execution of Huang Linkai was carried out in violation of constitutional and international safeguards on the use of the death penalty while an appeal filed by his lawyer to stop the execution was still pending before the courts. This renders his execution unlawful and arbitrary, in violation of the right to life.

 "It is horrifying that the execution was carried out at a few hours’ notice, without the possibility of any last family visits. The death penalty is a cruel and irreversible punishment and the Taiwanese authorities have implemented it in a way that shows an utter disregard for the rights of those affected.

 "We urge Taiwan’s government to immediately halt any plans to carry out further executions. Instead, the authorities must immediately change course and establish an official moratorium on executions as the first critical step towards abolition of the death penalty."

 Contradicts court ruling on dealth penalty

Cheng Ming-chien, Taiwan’s Minister of Justice, announced today that he had authorised the execution of Huang Linkai, who was convicted of rape and two murders in 2017.

Last year, Taiwan’s Constitutional Court ruled the death penalty be imposed only following unanimous judgments which should be disclosed by the prosecution. At the time that Huang Linkai’s execution was scheduled, his lawyer had not received information confirming this. The authorities proceeded with the execution despite his lawyer having filed an appeal on the evening of 16 January asking for concerns to be reviewed.

As of 31 December 2023, 37 out of the 45 people held on death row had their death sentences finalised and were at risk of execution. Amnesty opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. As of today, 113 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes. See more information about the death penalty today.