Taiwan carried out its first execution in five years on Thursday, sparking criticism from human rights organizations and the European Union.
Despite its reputation as Asia’s most liberal democracy, Taiwan continues to retain the death penalty. Opinion polls show broad public support for the practice, though executions have become increasingly rare.
The Justice Ministry confirmed that Huang Lin-kai was executed at the Taipei Detention Centre. Huang had been convicted in 2017 of the 2013 rape and murder of his ex-girlfriend, as well as the murder of her mother. The ministry justified the execution by citing a constitutional court ruling in September that upheld the death penalty for the most severe crimes under stringent legal standards.
Huang’s actions were described as “obviously inhumane and extremely vicious” by the ministry, which framed the execution as consistent with Taiwan’s judicial framework.
The European Union condemned the execution, urging Taiwan to reinstate its de facto moratorium on capital punishment and pursue abolition. Amnesty International and other rights groups decried the move as “shocking and brutal,” while the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty warned it could contribute to a cycle of violence.
However, Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, expressed support for the death penalty, aligning with a significant portion of the public. The alliance’s social media pages were inundated with comments favoring capital punishment, underscoring the polarizing nature of the issue.
Taiwan’s last execution occurred in April 2020, which also faced international backlash. While Taiwan boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the world, the debate over the death penalty continues to divide both the nation and its international allies.
Human rights advocates have urged Taiwan to abolish the death penalty, citing global trends and its potential impact on Taiwan’s international reputation. Nonetheless, the latest execution highlights the persistent tension between public sentiment, political considerations, and international criticism.
