Hanging, lethal injection, beheading: How countries carry out executions

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition that sought to abolish hanging as the method for carrying out capital punishment in India. The petition, filed in 2017, argued that hanging causes prolonged pain and suffering and advocated for an alternative such as lethal injection. The Attorney General stated that the issue is currently under examination at the highest level.

According to Amnesty International, 113 countries, or over two-thirds of the world's nations, have either abolished the death penalty in law or practice. However, the 'Death Sentences and Executions' report for 2025 revealed a 12% increase in executions compared to the previous year.

Hanging, which is the prescribed method in India, stems from British Common Law. Historically, the short-drop method was used, causing slow asphyxiation. Today, the long-drop method is used, which aims to snap the second cervical vertebrae and cause immediate unconsciousness. However, the precision of the drop length is crucial; a drop that is too short may result in strangulation, while a drop that is too long may lead to decapitation.

The government argues that the lack of medical infrastructure makes hanging an administratively predictable method.

The debate over execution methods revolves around the intersection of state power and human rights, as guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution. Abolitionists argue that hanging can lead to cruel and inhuman treatment if there are errors during the execution process. Retentionists, on the other hand, maintain that hanging is the "safest and quickest" method.

Across the globe, different nations employ various execution methods, each facing scientific and ethical controversies. Lethal injection is the primary method in the United States and heavily utilized in China. This method involves administering a sequence of drugs, including an anesthetic, a paralytic, and potassium chloride. However, the procedures can be compromised due to issues with venous access.

Shooting, either with a firing squad or a single bullet, is used in China, North Korea, Somalia, and some parts of West Asia. This method is visually violent and traumatic, but proponents argue it causes near-instantaneous death. Beheading by sword is carried out by Saudi Arabia, requiring the executioner's precision. Finally, nitrogen hypoxia, a recent method in the US, involves inhaling pure nitrogen gas, designed to cause asphyxiation without triggering panic.

Critics argue that this method has not been sufficiently vetted and amounts to human experimentation.