North Korea Increases Executions During COVID-19 Pandemic, Report Finds
A report by the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) reveals that North Korea significantly increased its use of the death penalty during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, based on testimonies from 265 North Korean defectors and information from media outlets, documents a 117% rise in executions and death sentences in the five years following the country's border closure in January 2020. The regime reportedly used the pandemic to expand the list of capital offenses, including the consumption of foreign media and religious practices. The report identifies 46 execution sites and notes that about 70% of executions were public. The increase in executions is attributed to the regime's adaptation to international pressure, with executions declining after UN discussions about referring Kim Jong-un to the International Criminal Court. 
