Taiwan carried out its first execution in five years late on Thursday, prompting criticism from human rights organisations and the European Union.
Despite being celebrated as Asia’s most liberal democracy, Taiwan retains the death penalty, a practice broadly supported by the public according to opinion polls, though rarely enforced in recent years.
The Justice Ministry announced that Huang Lin-kai was executed at the Taipei Detention Centre for the 2013 murder and rape of his ex-girlfriend, as well as the murder of her mother. Huang had been sentenced to death in 2017. The ministry defended the execution, citing the constitutional court’s September ruling that upheld the death penalty for the most serious crimes under rigorous legal scrutiny. The ministry described Huang’s actions as “obviously inhumane and extremely vicious.”
This move has drawn sharp criticism from international groups. The EU’s diplomatic service condemned the execution, urging Taiwan to uphold its de facto moratorium on the death penalty and work towards full abolition. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, called the execution a “shocking and brutal development,” while the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty warned that such actions could perpetuate a cycle of societal violence.
However, Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, expressed support for capital punishment. Public reactions were divided, with the alliance’s social media page flooded with comments favouring the death penalty.
Taiwan’s last execution was in April 2020, which similarly drew international criticism. Despite its low crime rate, the debate over capital punishment remains a contentious issue within the nation and abroad.
Melissa Enoch
Follow us on:
