The use of the death penalty has increased rapidly in Iraq since it was reinstated in
mid-2004. Since then more than 270 people have been sentenced to death and at least
100 people have reportedly been executed. There were no executions reported in 2004
and at least three men were executed in 2005, but since then there has been a rapid
rise in executions with at least 65 people, including at least two women, reportedly
executed by hanging in 2006.1 Iraq now figures among the countries with the highest
numbers of executions reported in 2006.